The Springfield Spartans baseball team did enough this season to get a home playoff game—their first in years.

They just couldn’t do enough Thursday to defeat the Marlington Dukes, which advanced to face Triway after a 3-0 win in the first round of the Div. II Canton District Tournament.

The event benefits  homeless animals in Summit County, including pets that are abused, neglected, abandoned or injured, along with assisting the humane officers in investigating cases of animal cruelty and help in providing important educational and outreach programs to the community.

The annual Bark in the Park event will take place at 11 a.m. May 12 at  Springfield Lake. The annual pledge walk and pet exposition benefits both the Pawsibilities organization and the Humane Society.

Don't miss out on a day at the lake with man's best friends. For more information on Bark at the Park and the Humane Society, visit www.summithumane.org and search for the Bark in the Park link under the events tab.

 Wyss is in her first year as a teacher at Spring Hill. Administrators have noticed her efforts to get students to participate in class are paying off.

Spring Hill Junior High Assistant Principal Mary Meadows said Wyss entered students’ artwork in the Kids Safety Poster Contest sponsored by County Prosecutor, Sherri Bevin-Walsh. There were over 1,100 entries for this contest and 48 winners were chosen.

“Because of Mrs. Wyss’s work with the students on this project, Spring Hill was able to have 10 winners. That means that over 20 percent of the winners from this contest came from Springfield,” Meadows said.

Students at Springfield's Young Elementary school went to school on Saturday March 24.

It was not a day of learning, but a day filled with fun games at the annual Young School Carnival.

Alcohol is suspected to be a factor in two traffic crashes in Springfield Township March 31 that injured two and resulted in the death of 26 year-old Jeffrey Y. Spencer, of Canal Fulton. The crashes occurred on the one-year anniversary of an alcohol-related crash that paralyzed Springfield Police Officer Mark Dodez.

The Easter Bunny made back-to-back visits to Schrop School and Lakemore's Upper Water Works Park. At Springfield, he arrived by police cruiser chauffeured by Sgt. Eric East. In Lakemore he came aboard a shinny red fire truck driven by firefighter Nick Alhassani and was greeted by Mayor Rick Justice.

The Springfield Spartans finished the 2011 softball season with high hopes. This year, they’re higher. The Spartans return all but one player and have two elite pitchers.

Scott Swan finds his Springfield baseball team in a unique situation.

On one hand, the Spartans graduated seven seniors, including two of the team’s top players. On the other hand, the team’s progress proves his players are buying in and his system is working. As a result, the Spartans enter the season with higher expectations than they have had in several years.

Springfield High School will be doing more than simply moving into a brand-new building in a little over a year and a half.

It will also be moving into a brand-new era, one that rockets the school well into the 21st century and maybe even beyond.

It's election day in Summit and Stark County. Check the Summit County Board of Elections and  the Stark County Elections Board if you don't know your precinct.

Check The Suburbanite for a recap of local issues.

Portage Lakes Career Students of the Month Sterling Perry and Jasmine Jaynes

Springfield girls bowling coach Matt Graves had high hopes for his team this season.
In his second year as head coach, Graves found at the beginning of the season that he had a group of freshmen who might play a large role in the team’s success.

There was a bomb threat at Springfield High School this morning, March 2. Students have been evacuated and police are currently on the scene.

The threat is from an unknown source.

At this time, police do not know if the threat is credible. Officers are taking all precautions.

Springfield students open wide, because the Summit County Public Health (SCPH) mobile dental van is rolling your way.

Beginning in March, students at Roosevelt and Young Elementary schools will take part in a free dental program provided through funding by Tuscora Park Health and Wellness Foundations.

The Portage Lakes Joint Vocational School District Board of Education approved donations from the GPD Associates for district Public Relations Program for $250, Martin Public Seating for district public Relations Program for $300, and Sandra Hansel for Plant/Landscape/Turf management Student Activity Fund for $100.

After losing twice to Norton by lopsided scores in Portage Trail Conference Metro Division play during the regular season, 52-26 and 74-31, the Spartans were more competitive against the third-seeded Panthers in a Uniontown Div. II sectional opener at Lake High School.

The Portage Lakes Career Center may begin offering a course starting Feb. 27 to prepare individuals for the oil and gas industry.

Springfield kindergarten registration begins March 1 for students attending school in the 2012-13 school year.