Cortland Covered: The Ctown Rundown

08/27/2026

Cortland Traffic Signal Hack

Location: Fowler Street

When you are on Fowler Street at the light....

Be aware.

If the light is not turning you are up way too far. Do not pull up further to try to activate the light. It won't work and you will impede traffic turning onto Fowler Street.

Please stay behind the solid white line and make sure that part of your vehicle is sitting within the sensor box embedded into the pavement. The light WILL NOT change if you are not in this box. It also will not change of you are on a motorcycle.

The sensor box is not visible from Google Streetview, but this is what it looks like.

This applies to many light in our area. Another example is Summit St and Robbins Avenue in Niles.

The more you know........

08/27/2026

Evelyn Leventis-Katsaros, 90, of Cortland, OH, passed away on August 22, 2026, at St. Joseph Warren Hospital. She was born August 13, 1936, in Warren, OH, a daughter of the late John A. Leventis and Alexandria Pavlis.

She graduated from Warren G. Harding High School and retired from Trumbull Lamp Plant.

Evelyn was a member of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church. Her greatest joy was spending time with her children, grandchildren, and extended family and friends. She will always be remembered for her laughter, her joy, her hugs, and her love for a good red wine and a bag of Lay's potato chips.

She will be lovingly missed by her daughters, Sophia (Joseph) Teffner of Cortland, OH, Alicia Katsaros of Kent, OH, and her bonus daughter, Debbie (Paul) Gould of Cortland, OH; her sisters, Olga Dailey of Columbus, OH, and Joan Ferrett of Warren, OH; her grandchildren, Zachary (Madison), Elliott, Rachel (Justin), Blake (Sarah), and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Alexandria, as well as her sister, Patricia Gonzales and a nephew Thomas A. Dailey.

Services will be held at Carl W. Hall Funeral Home in Warren, OH, on Friday, August 28th, 2026, at 12 PM, where Father Demetrios Constantine will officiate. Friends may call two hours prior to the service from 10 AM to 12 PM. Interment will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Warren, OH.

The family requests that material contributions be made to St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, in her memory.

View Evelyn Leventis-Katsaros's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

08/26/2026

On the record: Mathews

By Brandon Cantwell
August 24, 2026

WHAT: Board of Education regular meeting Wednesday

PRESENT: Joel Polonius, David Wise, Beth Haddle, Michelle Garman and Marc Burcham

The board:

• Accepted a donation of various miscellaneous items from Amazon.

• Approved an engagement contract with Local Government Services to compile the annual financial statements for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, at $67 per hour, not to exceed $13,400.

• Approved the Trumbull County Educational Service Center substitute teacher list for the 2026-27 school year.

• Approved paying athletic/game workers $30 per game for junior high and high school football, volleyball, soccer and basketball for the 2026-27 school year.

• Hired Ashleigh Macias as a permanent high school substitute teacher for the 2026-27 school year at a rate of $130 per day.

• Approved three extended days for school nurse Michele Bolchalk at a daily rate of $218 starting Aug. 1..

• Approved hiring Jodi Guarnieri as a substitute nurse at $120 per day.

• Approved hiring Jeanne Geilhard as a substitute secretary at $20.84 per hour.

• Approved hiring Olivia Hornbeck as a Title 1 tutor for the 2026-27 school year at $30 per hour.

WHAT: Board of Education regular meeting Wednesday PRESENT: Joel Polonius, David Wise, Beth Haddle, Michelle Garman and Marc Burcham The board: • Accepted a donation of various miscellaneous items from Amazon. • Approved an engagement contract with Local Government Services to compile the annual...

08/26/2026

WARREN, Ohio – Charles “Chuck” Dennis Ulam, 74, passed away on Sunday, August 16, 2026, from complications with his heart following a brief stay at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.

Chuck was born on December 7, 1951.

Throughout his life, Chuck enjoyed golfing, bowling, watching college basketball and college baseball and The Ohio State Football, as well as coaching sports. Above all, he cherished spending time with his family, especially his girls.

Chuck is survived by his loving wife, Mary Jo Ulam and his three daughters, Sarah Ulam of Cortland, Ohio, Dr. Katie Ulam of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Britni Ulam of Warren, Ohio.

Chuck will be remembered fondly by his family and friends for the many memories they shared with him and the love he had for those closest to him.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date, with details to be announced.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Staton-Borowski Funeral Home, 962 North Road NE, Warren, OH 44483, 330-394-6200. Dedicated To Serving Your Loved Ones.

Condolences may be sent to www.statonborowskifuneralhome.com.

https://www.wkbn.com/my-valley-tributes/staton-borowski-funeral-home/charles-d-ulam-warren-ohio/

August 16, 2026

08/26/2026

Michael R. Standohar, 77, of Cortland, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at home surrounded by his family.

Mike was born, October 1,1948, in Youngstown, Ohio, the son of the late Michael and Lucie (Asperger) Standohar.

For 32 years, Mike worked at RMI in Niles, where he was a maintenance foreman, before retiring in 2012.

Anyone who knew Mike, knew how much he loved cars and racing. He had a particular fondness for drag racing and NASCAR. In his younger years, he raced his ‘67 Nova at drag strips across the country creating lifelong memories.

As much as he enjoyed the excitement of racing, he equally enjoyed the simplicities of life. He loved gardening, sitting in the backyard watching birds, and listening to polka. He found happiness in the comfort of his home and spending time with the people he held dearest. Beyond the life he built and the passions he pursued, his greatest joy was family. To Mike, family was everything, and the moments they shared together will always be his true legacy.

He leaves to cherish his memory, his wife, Billie (Davis) Standohar, whom he married in 2010; his children, Michael (Danielle) Standohar, Christine (Joel) Alfano, Elaine Standohar, Monica Standohar, and Doug (Katie) Standohar; sister, Lou Ann (Paul) Weymer; step-children, Jeffery (Chrissy) Miranda and Scott (Heather) Miranda; and eight grandchildren.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Thursday, August 27th from 5-7 PM at Blackstone Funeral Home, in Girard. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, August 28th, 11:00 AM at St. Rose Church, in Girard.

Mike will be laid to rest at Calvary Cemetery in Youngstown.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests any contributions be made to: The Slovenian Radio Hour, Pittsburgh, PA or Hospice of the Valley Compassus.

View Michael Standohar's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

08/26/2026

Dayna Nicole Lamphear, 45, of Warren, OH passed away on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at St. Elizabeth Hospital.

She was born December 21, 1980, in Warren, OH, the daughter of David Lamphear and the late Kathryn Custer.

Dayna was a self-employed. She enjoyed painting, hiking, and flower gardening. Dayna embraced her creative side scrap booking, journaling, and reading poetry. She had a loving heart and always went out of her way to help others.

She will be deeply missed by her partner of 29 years, Jonathan Houston of Warren, OH; son, Adam Houston of Warren, OH; father, David Lamphear; step mom, DiAnna (Gardner) Lamphear; childhood friend, Rheanne; and multiple aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Besides her mother, she was preceded in death by her grandmothers, Barbara Custer and Helen Louise Brainard.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Carl W. Hall Funeral Home.

View Dayna Nicole Lamphear's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

08/25/2026

Anyone remember when West Main Street didn't have a guardrail, and you could drive straight into the lake?

My dad used to scare us by driving, at what seemed like a high rate of speed to a 5 year old, right to the water's edge before stopping.

Anyone else?

08/25/2026

Ohio’s share of school funding formula drops to lowest level in decades

by: Thomas Cobb

Posted: Aug 20, 2026 / 07:00 AM EDT
Updated: Aug 20, 2026 / 02:13 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — As students return to classrooms, Ohio is expected to cover a smaller share of the cost calculated by its public school funding formula than at any point in more than two decades.

The statewide average state share of the formula’s base cost is projected at roughly 32% for fiscal year 2027, according to data from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. It was roughly 35% last fiscal year and about 43% in fiscal year 2024.

Data going back to fiscal year 1999 show the state share had never previously fallen below 40% before the current three-year stretch. The Fair School Funding Plan Work Group, a group of school superintendents and treasurers who helped develop the funding model, called the current level a historic low.

The percentage does not mean Ohio pays only 32% of all public education spending. It measures how the state’s funding formula divides its calculated base cost between state aid and what school districts are expected to provide locally.

The decline stems largely from two sides of that calculation moving out of sync.

The Fair School Funding Plan uses expenses such as salaries, benefits and other school operations to calculate the base cost of educating a typical student. Those cost inputs remain based on fiscal year 2022 data. At the same time, property values and income figures used to determine districts’ ability to pay locally continue to be updated, said Howard Fleeter, a research consultant with the Ohio Education Policy Institute.

That imbalance shifts more of the formula’s burden toward local districts.

“If the cost stays the same, the local share of that goes up, the state share of the cost will go down,” Fleeter said. “That’s what’s driving us from 43.3% in 2024 to 38.4%, and then to 35, and then to 32.2.”

The decline comes as Ohio reaches the final year of the yearslong effort to phase in an overhaul of its school funding system.

Former Republican House Speaker Bob Cupp and former Democratic state Rep. John Patterson began developing the Fair School Funding Plan with school superintendents and treasurers in 2017. The House overwhelmingly passed the plan in 2020, and lawmakers began implementing it through the state budget in fiscal year 2022. The six-year process was designed to reach full implementation in fiscal year 2027.

Patterson said the phase-in assumed lawmakers would continue updating the formula’s cost inputs as expenses changed, although that requirement was not written into law.

“Most important would be to update the data inputs,” Patterson said. “Salaries, insurance costs, operating costs, all of those should be updated to the most recent calendar year available where we have those statistics.”

Patterson and Fleeter said other elements of the funding formula also remain unfinished or rely on older calculations. They pointed to funding for students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students and English learners, as well as transportation, as areas that still need to be updated or more fully implemented.

“All of those categoricals, as they’re called, need to be implemented now that we have the studies done, and the costs of implementing all of those are indeed at our fingertips,” Patterson said.

In 1997, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled the state’s school funding system unconstitutional in DeRolph v. Ohio, finding in part that its reliance on local property taxes created inequities between property-rich and poorer districts. The court continued to find the system unconstitutional in subsequent rulings.

State lawmakers have continued increasing overall education spending, a point frequently cited in defense of recent budgets, but Fleeter said total spending can rise even as the state covers a smaller percentage of the cost calculated by the formula.

Updating the base-cost inputs before the next biennial budget would require additional action from lawmakers, including more state funding to support a higher calculated base cost. Otherwise, the next opportunity to update those inputs would come as lawmakers write the next two-year state budget.

“The problem is, if you don’t fund the formula, everybody loses,” Patterson said. “We assumed that the state would do its part.”

Ohio is expected to cover a smaller share of the cost calculated by its public school funding formula than at any point in more than two decades. https://nbc4i.co/4idL3sU?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_NBC4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_NBC4

08/21/2026

CORTLAND, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Lucille passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Cortland, Ohio on August 18, 2026.

She was born September 2, 1933 as Lucille Belle Camp in Williamsfield, Ohio, the daughter of the late Clayton C. and Hazel M. (Spencer) Camp.

After graduating high school in Kinsman, Ohio, Lucille started a job at the Griswold (later Strauss) department store in Warren, Ohio.

Soon thereafter in September of 1952, she married Wayne (Bud) C. Greenwood Jr. from Mecca, Ohio. They later had three sons together: Danny, Terry and Gregory.

Lucille studied Interior Design and also completed some courses in music theory at Kent State University Trumbull in Warren, Ohio.

She also since childhood had a very close relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Lucille was also always very involved in several local churches she attended during her lifetime and over the years impacted many lives for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Early in her adult life she attended the Mecca Community Church in Mecca, Ohio where she served as choir director, pianist and organist, Sunday School teacher and Vacation Bible School teacher for many years. There she could often be found singing a duet in Sunday morning service with her only sibling Shirley McCrimmon (sister) who proceeded her in death. Later in life, she served in the same capacity for the North Park Baptist Church in Warren, Ohio, primarily during the many years the church was pastored by the late Reverend Dr. Clarence Kelly.

Lucille was also active in various community organizations including canvassing for the American Cancer Society for a number of years as well as for many years serving as a judge in local election polls for the Trumbull County Board of Elections.

After God, the next most important thing in Lucille’s life was her family to which she was extremely dedicated especially her sons and grandchildren. Always being supportive and present whenever any of them was involved in any kind of sporting or school event. She served a term as President of the Mecca P.T.A. As well as a member of the Board of Directors of the Warren Y.M.C.A. And for many years she drove her sons nightly from Mecca to the Warren Y.M.C.A. so they could learn swimming and gymnastics. For many years later in life she served as full time caregiver for her grandson, Terry Greenwood Jr. who also lived with her and had been permanently injured and confined to a wheelchair as a result of a shooting incident which occurred in January 1995 near Youngstown State University. In recent years after being diagnosed with dementia her same grandson, Terry, became her primary caretaker and advocate. Having lived together since 1995. They shared a very special bond and relationship crowned with amazing love and respect for each other.

Lucille will be greatly missed by all who knew her, especially her family. She is survived by her three sons: Danny L. Greenwood of Cortland, Ohio; Terry W. Greenwood Sr. and daughter-in-law Kathy (Hayford) Greenwood of Johnston, Ohio and Gregory L. Greenwood and daughter-in-law Alice (Kelly) Greenwood of Warren, Ohio. She also leaves behind nine grandchildren: Jennifer Greenwood of Morgantown, West Virginia; Terry Greenwood Jr. of Cortland, Ohio; Kristin (Greenwood) Pisha and husband Chad of Chicago, Illinois; Sean Greenwood and wife Natalie of Warren, Ohio; Patrick Greenwood and wife Megan of Cortland, Ohio; Christopher Greenwood and wife Jennifer of Warren, Ohio; Brandon Greenwood and wife Victoria of Seattle, Washington; Ross Greenwood and partner Alex of Hartford, Ohio; and Caitlyn Greenwood also of Hartford, Ohio. She is also survived by 10 great-grandchildren: Arhn, Ellison, Annabelle, Kensington, Adaline, Emma, Daxton, Kentlee, Aoifa, Gracie, and Cosmo. Also surviving her are two nephews, Brad McCrimmon of Cortland, OH and Michael McCrimmon of Hermitage, Pennsylvania.

Services will be held at the Stanton Borowski funeral home in Warren, Ohio on Saturday, August 22nd with viewing starting at 10:00 a.m., services at 11:00 a.m. followed by internment at Hillside cemetery in Cortland.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Staton-Borowski Funeral Home, 962 North Road NE, Warren, Ohio 44483, 330- 394-6200. Dedicated To Serving Your Loved Ones. Condolences may be sent to www.statonborowskifuneralhome.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Lucille, please visit our floral store.

A television tribute will air Friday, August 21 at the following approximate times: 6:47 a.m. on WYTV, 9:43 a.m. on WKBN, 10:58 a.m. on FOX and 8:12 p.m. on MyYTV. Video will be posted here the day of airing.

August 18, 2026

08/21/2026

Aaron was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, on June 13, 1951, to Janice and Gilbert Monroe. One summer day at the pool, during his junior year of high school, the path of his life was set. Aaron met Maura Ann Graf and a love for the ages began.

Fortunately for his family, a love-struck Aaron still went on to graduate from Portsmouth High School in 1969, and continued his education by graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio University in 1973. That same year he and Maura tied the knot and have been inseparable for the last 53 years. Following college, he and Maura moved to Cortland, Ohio where they raised their two children, Aaron and Amanda.

In Cortland, Aaron also put to work his sharp, analytical mind. He spent 36 years solving challenging problems for Delphi-Packard Electric earning multiple US Patents for his work. Upon retirement, he and Maura relocated to the Columbus area to be closer to their kids and grandchildren. Aaron also found a second act, working at Woodcraft for the next 10 years sharing his love and knowledge of woodworking with the Central Ohio community before retiring again to spend more time with his family.

Aaron was much more than his career. He was a man who loved to create, explore, laugh, and share his passions with the people around him. He was also an avid fisherman and especially loved fly fishing. Some of his happiest memories were made outdoors, including annual beach trips with his wife and children, fishing expeditions with his buddies, and regular trips to the mountains of Yellowstone and Montana. He was a talented, skilled woodworker whose hands could turn a simple piece of wood into something beautiful.

Music was another important part of Aaron’s life. He loved to play his guitar and harmonica, sharing his musical talents with others, especially his grandkids. Many evenings were filled with music, laughter, and harmony, creating memories that his family and friends will carry with them forever.

Aaron’s greatest joy, however, was his family. He is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Maura Graf Monroe, whom he married in 1973. Together they built a life filled with love, family, adventure, laughter, and countless memories. He is also survived by his children, Aaron and Rebekah Monroe and Amanda and Brandon King, and his grandchildren, Nevaeh Monroe, Everett Monroe, and Madeline King.

He is also survived by his brother, Stephen (Susie) Monroe, sister, Dianne Mader, and brothers and sisters-in-law: Mike (Vicki) Graf, Dave (Erin) Graf, John (Robin) Graf, Barbara Graf, Regina (Ron) Vastine, Greg (Crystal) Graf, Brenda (Bill) Graf- Daehler, Anna Graf, Jim (Amy) Graf, Chuck (Cathy) Graf, Tom (April) Graf, Dory Graf, and Kris (Mitch) Oelker, as well as 108 nieces and nephews.

His memory will be shared by many, many dear friends.

Aaron was preceded in death by his parents, Janice E. Monroe Campbell and Gilbert S. Monroe, his stepfather, William Campbell, and his brother-in-law, Joseph Mader.

Aaron had a way of making ordinary moments special. The stories, laughter, music, and memories he leaves behind will continue to bring comfort to those who loved him.

Visitation will be on Sunday August 30, 2026, at Schoedinger Funeral Home, 6699 North High Street, Worthington, Ohio, 43085. Visitation hours are 4pm to 7pm.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11am on Monday August 31, 2026, at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 10700 Liberty Road South, Powell, Ohio, officiated by Fr. David Schalk. Lunch to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Project Healing Waters & The Michael J. Fox Foundation which are both linked below.

The family would also like to express their heartfelt gratitude to their one special Night Caregiver, as well as the Home Helpers Home Care and Tranquility Hospice for the compassionate care and support they provided to Aaron and his family.

He will be loved, remembered, and missed more than words can say.

Celebrate the life of Aaron Monroe, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of Schoedinger Worthington.