CANTON – Canton City Schools students will have the day off on April 8 as Ohio takes centerstage for a total solar eclipse.
District officials said the decision to have a calamity day and cancel all school activities was prompted by a concern for safety.
The Ohio Emergency Management Agency has been planning for the eclipse for some time and has advised traffic could be heavy with gridlock before and after the eclipse. Cellphone service may be limited or disrupted.
Northeast Ohio is in the path of the solar eclipse, with it crossing the state from southwest to northeast passing through cities such as Toledo, Mansfield, Akron and Cleveland in a 124-mile band across the state.
Northwest Stark County, including Canal Fulton, will be in the line of total solar eclipse, when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, obstructing the view of the sun and darkening the sky. The rest of Stark County, including Canton, will experience a partial solar eclipse, where the sky darkens but will not go completely black.