All of that will make downtown Akron more vibrant to retain and attract people, organizers said.

The grant awarded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will give the Downtown Akron Partnership a boost to test and implement improvements to public spaces in key areas of downtown over the next two years.

“It feels like we’re hitting this tipping point in downtown Akron,” said Kyle Kutuchief, Knight Foundation program director for Akron.

As part of the collective work of the foundation, Downtown Akron Partnership and other partners, including the city of Akron, three main public focus areas have been determined for the grant. They are:

• The Link: Identifying and promoting an east-to-west, 1-mile connector dubbed “The Link” that runs from the University of Akron’s University Avenue and Broadway Street area (near the Akron Public Schools’ National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM school and the UA schools of law and business) to the Akron Children’s Hospital campus.

• Cascade Plaza: Enhancing a key public park adjacent to Huntington Bank’s campus and as well as a proposed residential development.

• Night Out at North High Street: Improving and bringing more activity to the sidewalks around the North High business district to attract new activity and pedestrian traffic to the area.

‘Where is everybody?’

The idea behind the grant is to work with various partners throughout the key areas to encourage more people to be out and about on the streets.

“It’s a game of hide-and-seek in downtown Akron,” said Kutuchief. “Where is everybody?”

Thousands of workers drive in to Akron and enter office buildings via underground parking decks. Many don’t venture out for lunch or don’t leave until they get back in their cars to go home, Kutuchief said.

In a recent study completed by Gehl Studio, a firm specializing in urban design, 60 volunteers — including downtown small business owners — spent 190 hours watching how people used spaces downtown in two-hour blocks.

They saw people were either not coming out onto streets or they were using skywalks connected to parking decks to traverse through downtown.

At the corner of University Avenue and Broadway, about 1,000 students stay within the buildings and eat quick lunches or walk through the skywalks — often going down two levels through unattractive areas and parking decks — to make their way down to the Polsky Building on South Main instead of walking on the streets, said Suzie Graham, Downtown Akron Partnership president and CEO.

“We want to make it more attractive and inviting to have those folks out in our streets and being part of our network,” she said.

Part of that means encouraging more street-level eateries, instead of ones hidden within buildings, or public spaces with areas to eat lunch or walk in at night, she said.

‘East-west connection’

“The Link is an opportunity to build a strong east-west connection that goes right through the heart of downtown to both bring students into the downtown area and to bring patient families and employees of Akron Children’s Hospital into the downtown area,” Graham said.

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said it’s essential to connect the tens of thousands of UA students, educators and employers to the urban center.

“We continue to focus on connectivity between the nodes of activity downtown and look forward to working with [Downtown Akron Partnership] to sprinkle ‘bread crumbs’ between the University, Lock 3, Akron Children’s Hospital and Cascade Plaza to make it easy and attractive for people to further explore and discover their city,” Horrigan said. “As we prepare to invest $5 million in TIGER [Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery] grant funds in a more accessible, livable Main Street, we must ensure that all our major employers and assets are linked through cycle- and pedestrian-friendly streets and infrastructure.”

Cascade, North High

Two other large areas that need some “icing,” Kutuchief and Graham said, are Cascade Plaza and the shops on North High Street.

The city has spent $4.2 million to improve Cascade Plaza and has recently pledged more upgrades. The top of the plaza now needs a welcoming green space for Huntington Bank and other area employees, residents of proposed downtown apartments and future guests at a redeveloped Akron City Center Hotel, Kutuchief said.

Some improvements could be as simple as temporary projects for seating or sidewalk cafe areas on North High Street.

Kutuchief and Graham said a survey done of the lighting around downtown showed many areas where there are dark blocks that discourage people from exploring. Adding lighting will make a big impact, they said.

Some improvements, including those to North High Street, could happen as soon as this fall and Cascade Plaza upgrades by next summer, they said.

A vibrant downtown complements the major upgrades Akron Children’s Hospital has been making to its campus near downtown, hospital President and CEO Bill Considine said.

“If you look at what’s being done with that corridor, that’s only going to add to the excitement for everybody and not only for our workforce but the families that are here,” said Considine, who is also a Knight Foundation trustee.

Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ  on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ and see all her stories at www.ohio.com/betty

Pope Francis named Bishop Nelson J. Perez, auxiliary bishop of Rockville Centre, N.Y., to the position Tuesday.

Perez, who displayed an affable personality and sense of humor during his introductory news conference in Cleveland, will be installed as the 11th bishop in the history of the diocese at a Mass on Sept. 5 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland.

He admitted that he never imagined becoming an auxiliary bishop, let alone a bishop when he was ordained a priest in 1989 in Philadelphia.

“God’s ways and thoughts are not ours, but I know, I know, and I trust his ways are always better and deeper than our own comprehension,” Perez said. “I thank God for this awesome, incredible privilege to embark on this journey with you, the wonderful people of Cleveland.”

Perez, 56, said he was humbled by the opportunity. He joked that he received numerous texts, phone calls and emails congratulating him and assuring him that “Cleveland rocks.”

Perez, the first Hispanic bishop in the diocese, also used a portion of his news conference to speak in Spanish.

After he was introduced to the local community, he celebrated Mass at the Cathedral.

The Rev. Paul Rosing, pastor at Holy Family Parish in Stow, attended the news conference, celebrated Mass with Perez and had lunch with him along with other diocesan priests.

“He lights up the room when he walks in,” he said. “There’s a lot of energy there.”

During lunch, the new bishop picked up on the “frustrations and joys” shared by the priests. Rosing also was impressed with Perez’s self-effacing sense of humor and that he asked the priests to share stories about themselves.

“The biggest thing is he’s hopeful and joyful,” Rosing said. “I couldn’t be happier.”

The Rev. Mike Williamson, pastor at St. Matthew Parish in Akron’s Ellet neighborhood, watched the announcement Tuesday online with excitement.

Williamson, who has not met the new bishop, is looking forward to working with Perez.

“He seems very personable with a strong pastoral background,” Williamson said. “Those are great traits to have in a shepherd.”

St. Matthew has a growing Hispanic community and it’s also exciting to have a leader who has worked with Hispanic groups before, he added.

Perez succeeds Bishop Richard Lennon who retired in December after being diagnosed with vascular dementia. Diocese of Toledo Bishop Daniel E. Thomas has been overseeing the Cleveland Diocese on an interim basis and will continue until Perez is installed.

“In Bishop Nelson Perez, the Diocese of Cleveland is receiving a faithful, enthusiastic and joyful shepherd for Christ and his church,” Thomas said. “With his warm personality, Bishop Perez will quickly endear himself to all who meet him.”

Perez’s strong faith was instilled by his parents, David and Emma Perez. They emigrated to Miami while Emma Perez was pregnant.

“I was made in Cuba and unpackaged here in Miami,” Perez said, with a laugh.

“I’ve been so blessed to be raised in a faith-filled family; one that nurtured my faith and ultimately my vocation to the priesthood,” he added. “Without them, I simply would not be here today.”

Before entering St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, Perez received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Montclair State University in 1983 and taught at Colegio la Piedad, a Catholic elementary school in Puerto Rico. He also has master’s degrees in divinity and theology.

In 1998, he was named a Chaplain of His Holiness by Pope John Paul II and Prelate of Honor in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI.

In June 2012, Perez was named auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre and received episcopal ordination on July 25, 2012.

He previously has served as a parish pastor, was the founding director of the Catholic Institute for Evangelization and serves as chair of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops’ Subcommittee for Hispanic Affairs. He also has taught courses in religion and psychology at La Salle University.

The Diocese of Cleveland is the 23rd-largest diocese in the U.S., overseeing 677,000 Catholics in Cuyahoga, Summit, Lorain, Lake, Geauga, Medina, Wayne and Ashland counties.

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ .

The world’s largest retailer notified township leaders in a letter this week that the company “does not desire to move forward with the development …” and is withdrawing its zoning application.

Walmart had considered moving its Walmart and Sam’s Club stores from the Rosemont Commons plaza in Fairlawn to neighboring Copley for at least a decade. The company had been interested in opening a supercenter with a full grocery and fuel station on Rothrock — about a mile from its current site.

But the retail market has changed dramatically since then, with many national retailers, including Walmart, shuttering stores. Walmart also recently began testing a delivery service using its own store employees to compete with online giant Amazon.

“As you can imagine, so many things have changed,” Walmart spokeswoman Anne Hatfield said Tuesday.

She said the retailer has renewed its Walmart lease at its current location. She didn’t know for how long. The future of the Sam’s Club, though, is still up in the air.

“We’re still determining that,” she said when asked if the Sam’s Club could be relocated.

She added that the company plans to sell the property it owns on Roth­rock.

Copley, which had been at a stalemate in negotiations for a new development agreement with Walmart, is happy that the ongoing “will Walmart, won’t Walmart” soap opera is coming to an end.

“The Copley Township trustees are pleased that Walmart has finally made a decision about the Rothrock Road site,” township attorney Irv Sugerman said. “Now that Walmart has abandoned the project, the trustees plan to initiate discussions about the future of that property and engage our neighbors in Fairlawn about dealing with the traffic issues in the Montrose area.”

Stark Enterprises, which manages the Rosemont Commons, also couldn’t be reached for comment.

Walmart has faced stiff opposition to the relocation from Fairlawn officials and the potential move created friction between city and township leaders.

In response to the company’s plans, Fairlawn closed a portion of Rothrock to through traffic. The decision, which prompted a lawsuit that the city won, made it more difficult for many motorists to reach the site.

The potential relocation also spawned two lawsuits against Summit County by developers who sought a traffic impact study in the busy Montrose shopping area, where Fairlawn, Copley and Bath meet. Those lawsuits, which have since been combined, are still pending in Summit County Common Pleas Court but may be dismissed based on Walmart’s decision.

Fairlawn Mayor Bill Roth was unaware Tuesday that Walmart had withdrawn its zoning application.

“We did what we had to do to protect the residential integrity of Fairlawn,” he said about the city’s opposition to the move.

He added that there are no plans to reopen Rothrock, saying that the closure wasn’t about stopping Walmart but more about the potential for commercial development along the road.

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ .

Now Cavaliers coach Lue, a former Celtics assistant, and Green have been reunited, with Green’s signing officially announced Tuesday.

Green, 30, agreed to terms of a one-year, $2.3 million deal on Friday night. LeBron James reportedly spoke with Green, who should add a defensive presence to the Cavs’ second unit.

Standing 6-foot-9 and 235 pounds, Green has played for four teams in the past three seasons. He spent 2016-17 with the Orlando Magic, averaging 9.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 22.2 minutes. He also shot a career-high 86.3 percent from the free-throw line and scored in double figures in 35 of his 69 games.

Green carries career averages of 13.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 31.1 minutes. In the playoffs (38 games, 15 starts), those numbers are 11 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 29.3 minutes. The fifth overall pick of the Celtics in the 2007 draft who was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics on draft night, Green has averaged in double figures in eight of his nine seasons.

Nuggets waive veteran

The Denver Nuggets waived shooting guard Mike Miller.

Miller, 37, played only 20 games last season as he served more of a coaching role from the bench for a Nuggets team that missed out on the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Over his career, Miller also played for the Cavs, Memphis Grizziles, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Minnesota Timber­wolves and Orlando Magic. He suited up in 1,032 games and averaged 10.6 points.

Miller was the sixth man of the year in 2005-06 while with the Grizzlies. He averaged 13.7 points that season and made 138 3-pointers.

In addition, Miller was named to the All-Rookie team in 2000-01 after being taken with the fifth overall pick by the Magic.

Pelicans sign guard

The New Orleans Pelicans signed former Duke guard Frank Jackson, who was the first selection during the second round of last month’s NBA Draft.

The contract spans three years at the NBA minimum salary with the first two years guaranteed, meaning a minimum of more than $2 million.

The Pelicans made a draft-night trade with the Charlotte Hornets to acquire Jackson, taken by the Hornets 31st overall. The Pelicans sent draft rights to the 40th overall pick, Dwayne Bacon, and cash to the Hornets in the deal.

The 6-foot-4 Jackson spent one season at Duke, averaging 10.9 points.

He found them at the Sons of Italy Lodge 685, a fun-loving group of immigrants and their descendants that celebrated its 100th anniversary this year.

“That’s how we got to know everyone and make good friends,” Ferrante said.

And that’s exactly why the Akron chapter was formed in 1917, a dozen years after the national order was founded.

“When people came over to this country, they were looking for paisans,” said club member Toni Ross of Cuyahoga Falls, using the Italian word for “fellow countrymen.” “They were looking for neighbors and people they might have known over there.”

Italy had only been unified half a century earlier, so the country’s regions still retained their unique flavors, customs and loyalties.

As a result, each region was represented by a different club in Akron, with members required to demonstrate geographic ties. There were societies and lodges specific to the Sicilians, the Carovillese, the Cassanese and the Abruzzi, to name a few.

The Akron area once boasted 30 or more Italian clubs. Today, about half remain.

The Sons of Italy — one of the oldest Italian clubs in the Akron area — was different than most. It accepted anyone of Italian descent.

And, common in most club charters, if one spouse was Italian, the other spouse was automatically Italian.

That’s why Lodge 685 overlooks the ethnicity of its president, Pat Puhak — Slovak by birth, Italian by marriage.

Helping others

In addition to being a social community, the clubs offered life and accident insurance. That was a huge deal for people who had moved thousands of miles away from their network of support, a time before Social Security or government welfare programs existed.

Over the decades, as generations distanced themselves from those early immigrant needs and challenges, the clubs started setting their sights on helping other charities.

Today, Lodge 685 donates annually to Cooley’s Anemia Foundation, Alz­heimer’s Foundation and Doug Flutie’s Foundation for Autism.

They also hand out three or four scholarships each year to the children of members. That’s where the profits from their booth at this week’s Summit County Italian American Festival will go.

The festival is celebrating its 70th year and is an annual tradition put on by 14 of Summit County’s Italian clubs, including Sons of Italy.

It will be held Thursday through Saturday at Lock 3 Park, 200 S. Main St. in downtown Akron.

At the Sons of Italy festival booth, Andrea Conti and her team will be serving up meatball subs with homemade sauce and sausage sandwiches cooked on-site.

“We try to be as authentic as we can,” said Conti, who was born 50 years ago in Akron’s Italian North Hill neighborhood.

The festival evolved from an old tradition in which each club held its own individual picnic. With many people belonging to more than one club, the practice of squeezing 30 or more Italian picnics into a few warm weather weeks was too unwieldy.

The Council of Italian American Societies of Summit County was formed, and the clubs agreed to throw their weight behind a single festival that would not only reach members, but draw in the greater community in a celebration of Italian heritage, music and food.

The Sons of Italy have been involved every year while also managing to organize numerous activities for its 183 members.

A look at its 2017 calendar is a good example: reverse raffle in April, a fashion show in June, a card party in September, a wine tasting in October.

Other activities are devoted to helping other nonprofits with their goals: assisting Rolling Thunder to raise funds for vets in October, wrapping toys for needy Akron children; and volunteering at the Akron Children’s Hospital Tree Festival in November.

“When I was first asked to join the group, I thought, ‘Oh my God, these people are so fun, so welcoming,’ ” Conti said.

Promoting membership

As with all ethnic groups and civic clubs, keeping membership up is the biggest challenge.

The Sons of Italy has seen its own ranks dwindle from a peak of about 250, but Conti is confident the club will still be around in 50 years.

The key is to promote the group to empty nesters who are young enough to be active but old enough to understand the special bonds that come from shared ancestry.

“People reach an age where they appreciate it,” Conti said. “Then they join the lodge and change it to reflect themselves.”

The one thing that doesn’t change is the result, she said. “There’s a sense of camaraderie and caring. But the one thing I would tell people about this group is they are all about having fun.”

To learn more about the Sons of Italy’s Akron Lodge 685, visit www.sonsofitalyakron.org.

Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis.

Christopher Hendon, 26, was arraigned on the new charges in Summit County Common Pleas Court by visiting Judge John Enlow, sitting in for Judge Christine Croce. Hendon, who was dressed in a striped polo shirt and black dress pants, is free on a $2,500 bond.

Hendon faces 60 charges, a combination of felonies and misdemeanors, including assault, kidnapping, abduction and endangering children.

Prosecutors say Hendon, dressed as an officer, attempted to enter the Summit County Juvenile Detention Center and the Summit County Jail and went to two schools with children in handcuffs between March 29 and April 6.

Hendon is not a certified peace officer in Ohio, but has a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Hendon was arrested April 6 after he attempted to enter the juvenile detention center with a firearm and a child in handcuffs. He claimed to be a resource officer working as part of a Scared Straight program. He had a security badge with the word “security” covered with a band, investigators said.

Hendon was originally charged with 13 offenses. A supplemental indictment by a Summit County grand jury in late June added 47 more charges. He will next be in court Aug. 1.

Donald Malarcik, Hendon’s attorney, said his client is accused of taking kids who had gotten into trouble from their school and bringing them to the juvenile detention center, where youth offenders are housed, taking them on a tour, and then returning them to school or their parents. He said Hendon’s aim was to “instill a respect for authority” in these young people and some parents were grateful for his help.

“Drugs and violence are consuming a generation of children in Akron,” Malarcik said. “Chris Hendon tried to reach these kids to save them from a life far worse than a ride to juvenile court.”

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj  and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith.

The shooting of Edward Earl Taylor has been ruled a homicide because the death happened at the hands of someone else. But it’s unclear whether the police shooting was justified or whether the two officers who fired their weapons could face criminal charges or disciplinary action.

The case remains under investigation.

Akron police said the incident began about 4 a.m. Sunday when police received a report that a 40-year-old woman was being raped at gunpoint by an acquaintance at 2070 Thurmont Road, which is off North Hawkins Avenue.

Two officers responded. When they pulled up outside the house, a woman came running out and a man with a gun opened fire on officers, police said.

The two officers returned fire and brought in a SWAT team, hoping to negotiate with the man to surrender. It was unclear whether the man they exchanged fire with was seriously injured.

After four hours, SWAT deployed chemicals and entered the home, finding a man shot dead. He was later identified as Taylor, who lived at the home.

It’s unclear how many times Taylor was shot. The medical examiner’s office on Tuesday didn’t specify, other than to say a single bullet to the chest killed Taylor.

A special unit in the Akron Police Department that handles police-involved shootings is handling the investigation, police said. Independent investigators from Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation were brought in to collect evidence at the site.

As part of the investigation, the two officers who fired a weapon in the case will be read his or her rights, like any other citizen would when interviewed, police said.

It was not clear Tuesday whether those interviews had yet occurred. But during each interview, investigators would be present, along with prosecutors from Summit County and the city of Akron, plus the officer’s Fraternal Order of Police representative and an FOP lawyer, police said.

Findings of the Akron police investigation — which could take weeks — and evidence from BCI will be presented to the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office, which will determine whether officers face criminal charges, police said.

This weekend will mark the 70th Italian-American Festival in and around Lock 3 Park downtown.

A week later, Festa Italiana returns to Cuyahoga Falls.

And continuing the Italian theme of today’s column, we bring you news of a new Italian restaurant, sort of. Bravo! Cucina Italiana at Summit Mall in Fairlawn is one of the first locations to convert to the Columbus chain’s new concept: Brio Coastal Bar & Kitchen.

First up …

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the three-day Italian-American fest in and around Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron.

It will open for lunch on Thursday and run through Saturday night, when there will be fireworks around 10 p.m. Fourteen of Summit County’s Italian clubs collaborate to organize the festival, under the banner of the Council of Italian American Societies of Summit County.

The Sons of Italy club will sell meatball subs (with homemade sauce) and sausage sandwiches. Le Radici (The Roots) will sell Italian pastries, and the Italian American Professional Businessmen’s Club will sell subs made by DeVitis Italian Market & Deli on Tallmadge Avenue in North Akron.

Vendors include Corbo’s Bakery of Cleveland’s Little Italy and DiRusso Italian Sausage of Youngstown, a longtime vendor at Ohio fairs and festivals. You can buy DiRusso’s sausages at area stores, but there’s nothing like a freshly prepared sausage sandwich at a fest.

Debi Rauckhorst, an officer with the council, said the festival area gets pretty packed in the evening as folks come to enjoy the music.

The homemade wine contest is back, and you can enter until 5 p.m. Saturday for the 6 p.m. judging time; just drop off your entry at the volunteer booth.

Maybe you can learn some Italian toasts on Saturday, when Dora Ricci-Raymond offers half-hour Italian lessons for beginners from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Last year’s festival raised more than $60,000 for local charities and scholarships.

Oh, the music — don’t mean to ignore it, but this is a food column — will include Avanti (6:30 p.m. Saturday) and Lights Out, a Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons tribute band (8:30 p.m. Saturday). The Fleetwood Mac Mania tribute band will perform at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, after the opening ceremony that begins at 8 p.m. For a complete schedule, go to www.it-am.org.

Festa Italiana

The area is blessed with back-to-back Italian festivals.

Festa Italiana will set up on Falls River Square July 21-23 on Front Street between Broad Boulevard and East Portage Trail in Cuyahoga Falls.

It features a bocce tournament, grape stomping and lots of Italian food. It is one of the last events planned for the south end of the Front Street pedestrian mall before construction begins to reopen the street to traffic. Admission is free. For a schedule, go to www.festaitalianacf.com.

Bravo for Brio

“Basically, we took the best dishes of Bravo! and the best dishes of Brio and infused them,” tossing in some other items, and with an emphasis on fresh ingredients, said James Walker, general manager of the former Bravo! at Summit Mall, rechristened Brio Coastal Bar & Kitchen as of Monday.

The chain operates Brio Tuscan Grilles at Legacy Village and Crocker Park shopping areas outside Cleveland, which play off the simplicity of Tuscan cuisine.

So the new menu at Brio Coastal has Brio’s spicy shrimp and eggplant and beef carpaccio small plates, as well as entrees such as pasta alla vodka. From Bravo!, there are items such as grilled balsamic chicken, chicken parmesan, eggplant parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs. Small plates include roasted beets and whipped feta and avocado toast.

“Handhelds” include a Double Stack Burger featuring two 4-ounce Angus burgers with white cheddar, heirloom tomatoes, lettuce, special sauce and house-made pickles. It comes with fries. Cost is $14.

The idea is “a relaxed feel with small plates, with people sharing” in a less-formal atmosphere, Walker said.

Gone are the more formal white shirts and black pants that servers wore, replaced with blue and white gingham shirts and jeans. Colorful plates have replaced the white ones and the decor has been freshened up.

“It’s a lot lighter, brighter,” Walker said.

The bar has more seating, and now offers house-made infused liquor, such as pineapple vodka, spicy mango tequila and honey bourbon.

Look for the new blue Brio Coastal awnings. For a menu, go to www.briocoastal.com. Phone for the location at 3265 W. Market St., Fairlawn is 330-835-9583.

So far, the other Brio Coastals are in Torrence, Calif., and Charlotte, N.C. The Bravo! concept will remain, but some will be converted into Brio Coastals.

Here’s some related chain eatery trivia. Chris Doody, who with his brother, Rick, started Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, left the company to found Piada Italian Street Food, also based in Columbus. Last month, Piada opened its first Akron location at West Market Station at Hawkins Avenue and West Market Street. Another Piada is scheduled to open this year in the Portage Crossing development off State Road in Cuyahoga Falls.

There also is a Piada in the Belden Village area of Jackson Township. You order at a counter, and employees create the dish in front of you. Piada folks prefer the term “fast casual” to one moniker customers have bestowed: “The Italian Chipotle.”

Howie’s and Pav’s

Longtime Portage Lakes haunt Howie’s on the Lake is offering boozy ice cream drinks, pairing Pav’s ice cream with liquor.

It’s a riff on the adult offerings at the year-round Pav’s in Green’s Heritage Crossings shopping complex.

Local chef Dick Kanatzar is now running Howie’s kitchen. Late last month, he revealed on his Facebook page that he is temporarily closing his Chop & Swizzle craft cocktail bars in Akron and Green due to “culinary differences.” He wrote, “We will reopen in both locations better than before.”

Howie’s is owned by Eric and Claudia Griffin. Howie’s on the Lake is on Turkeyfoot Lake at 4856 Coleman Drive in New Franklin. The place started as a local grocery store in the 1930s; for the history, go to https://www.howiesonthelake.com/about-us.

As for Pav’s, a third location is expected to open late next month at 708 S. Main St. in North Canton. It also will be a year-round, sit-down location; the site is a onetime Isaly’s, a boomer-era favorite that sold ice cream and other food.

The original Pav’s seasonal ice cream stand is at 3769 Manchester Road in Coventry Township.

Small bites

• This year’s Plow to Chow dinner will be Thursday at the Winery at Wolf Creek in Copley. The festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. with a wine tasting, heavy hors d’oeuvres and entertainment.

Tickets are $75 and proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Akron. Call 800-654-5158.

• Peachtree Southern Kitchen and Cocktails at 200 N. Main St. in Hudson will host a benefit dinner Sunday organized by Inspire Within, a nonprofit that helps people and organizations in need. Courses include fried green tomato canapes with tomato jam, pulled pork sliders and Creole wings. The dinner runs 4 to 8 p.m. and tickets are $40 at www.inspire-within.com.

• Wise Guys Lounge and Grill at 1008 N. Main St. in Akron will host a Celebration of Cabernet from 6 to 9 p.m. July 19. Cost is $30 and includes “lite bites.” For reservations, call 330-922-3006 after 3 p.m.

• The Undiscovered Wines of Lombardia is the name of the wine dinner set for 6:30 p.m. July 19 at Vaccaro’s Trattoria, 1000 Ghent Road in Bath Township. Cost is $65 plus tax and tip. The Lombardy region is in northern Italy and is home to Milan and Lake Como. Reserve at 330-666-6158 or go to www.vactrat.com.

• Ken Stewart’s Grille, 1970 W. Market St., will have a five-course wine dinner at 6:30 p.m. July 20. Cost is $75 plus tax and tip. Reserve by calling Terry Kemp, event director, at 330-697-6917.

• Papa Joe’s, 1561 Akron-Peninsula Road, will host a five-course Vintage Italian Wines dinner at 7 p.m. July 28. Cost is $85 plus tax and tip. Reserve at 330-923-7999.

• Ken Stewart’s Lodge, 1911 N. Cleveland-Massillon Road, will offer an Italian Wines on the Patio dinner at 6:30 p.m. July 26. Cost is $75 plus tax and tip. Reserve at 330-666-8881.

Send local food news to Katie Byard at 330-996-3781 or kbyard@thebeaconjournal.com. You can follow her @KatieByardABJ  on Twitter or on Facebook at www.facebook.com and read the Akron Dish blog at www.ohio.com/food.

After a brief pause, the friends and longtime homebrewers — who both live in Stow — agree that they want Hop Tree Brewing Co. to be known for two main things: high-quality beer and a positive experience.

“Great beer is always in season,” Ross, 34, said, borrowing the brewery’s catchphrase.

Hop Tree, a brewpub and production brewery that will distribute draft beer locally, hopes to open its doors as soon as late July.

The brewery is situated at 1297 Hudson Gate Drive off Hudson Road, at the end of a roomy industrial park filled with trees.

The brewing equipment — featuring a 10-barrel Specific Mechanical brewing system — is in place, and workers are now renovating the 12,000-square-foot building, including adding a 22-seat bar that will be topped with live edge wood slabs from an oak tree.

The stainless steel brewing system is in a warehouse setting adjacent to the tasting room, and there are several windows allowing visitors to gaze upon it. (The brewery will offer tours on the weekends.)

Community table

The brewpub, which will be family friendly, will feature some booths, high top tables, couches, love seats and a large community table.

“We really like the community table aspect because part of the culture of beer is sitting down with people and talking and discussing the beer and the food and whatever else,” said Ross, who previously worked as a landscaper.

“That’s part of the experience that we’re trying to create,” added McClymont, 39, who works in the manufacturing industry. “That relaxed environment where people come in and feel comfortable making a new friend even if it’s just for a few minutes.”

The brewpub menu will feature fresh items such as pretzels with beer cheese, pulled pork sliders, Cuban sandwiches, soups and salads.

Hop Tree has been long in the making. Ross and McClymont started talking about opening their own place more than a decade ago.

That’s when Ross got involved in the American Brewers Guild, they started expanding their homebrew equipment and they began to develop recipes. They estimate that they have 50-plus solid recipes now.

They shopped all around for possible locations in Kent and Akron’s northern suburbs, even being linked to the old Falls Theater in Cuyahoga Falls at one point. They also looked at the building that now houses HiHO Brewing Co. in Cuyahoga Falls.

Beer garden

They are quite happy where they ended up. The industrial park has plenty of space, including grassy areas that can serve as an outdoor beer garden. Woods surround the park.

“It’s just peaceful back here,” McClymont said.

There’s enough space out back that Hop Tree plans to grow some hops for special brews. They also have planted hop vines in the front of the building to greet visitors.

The Hop Tree name stems from their idea of possibly opening in Kent, which carries the nickname “Tree City” because it’s home to the Davey Tree Co. There’s also an Eastern Hophornbeam tree in Ross’ yard that produces a seed that looks like a hop.

A tree-related name was in play no matter where they looked.

“We stuck with the tree because we like the fact that trees are strong and take root and take shape and evolve and stay in one place,” McClymont said.

As for the beers, Hop Tree hopes to produce a style for everyone’s taste.

“We’ve always been attracted to those characteristics in the classic styles of beer that we think should be accentuated a little bit more so than they are,” McClymont said. “We’re not hop heads. We enjoy hoppy beers but we’re not nuts about highly bitter, hoppy IPAs. We like well-made, high quality, easy-drinking beers.”

Hop Tree will offer 10 draft beers, including two on nitro. Ross and McClymont expect only three of them will be mainstays: an IPA, golden ale and brown ale.

The others will rotate based on style. For example, there will be malty, wheat and stout handles.

While Hop Tree will be available on draft only to start, Ross and McClymont hope to add canning down the road.

The friends also hope to duplicate their love of homebrewing in a professional setting.

They want their experience to feel “like you’re going to the garage to brew another batch of beer,” Ross said. “Obviously there’s a lot more involved when running a business. But hopefully we still have a little bit of that feeling left when we’re actually operating here.”

Hop Tree expects to be open Wednesday through Sunday. Hours will be 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 4 to midnight Friday; 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

To keep up with the progress, check out: www.facebook.com/HopTreeBrewing.

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his beer blog at Ohio.com/beer. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ .

Paul C. Hiltz has been hired to begin July 24, the hospital announced Tuesday. He will work with current President and CEO Thomas E. Cecconi, who recently announced he will retire at the end of the year. Cecconi will remain with Mercy through December as president emeritus to assist in the leadership transition, as well as support Mercy in its community, development and medical staff relations, the hospital said.

Hiltz has most recently served as a senior adviser for the Mercy Health System (formerly Catholic Health Partners) in Cincinnati, the minority owner of Summa Health.

Mercy Health has no affiliation with Mercy Medical Center, which is owned by Sisters of Charity Health Systems.

Tom Strauss, president and CEO of the Sisters of Charity Health System, is the former CEO of Summa.

Prior to joining Mercy Health, Hiltz held positions as president and CEO at Mercy Health Springfield Region and Network CEO of Community Mercy Health Partners.

“Paul Hiltz brings experience in Catholic health care and an accomplished record of leadership to Mercy Medical Center,” said Jack Gravo, chairman of the Mercy board of directors. “We are confident he will lead Mercy Medical Center to deliver the quality and excellence in health care that Mercy is known for in the greater Stark County community.”

Strauss and the Mercy Medical Center and Sisters of Charity Health System boards will begin identifying the permanent leader for the hospital.

Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ  on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ and see all her stories at www.ohio.com/betty

Apollo Global Management has agreed to purchase ClubCorp for $1.1 billion.

ClubCorp owns more than 200 golf and country clubs, including Firestone.

The well-known Akron course is home to the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, which will take place this year Aug. 2-6.

ClubCorp’s other Northeast Ohio properties include Silver Lake Country Club and Quail Hollow Country Club in Concord.

Apollo, a private equity firm, said this week that it would pay $17.12 per share in cash, a 30.7 percent premium over the company’s closing share price Friday.

Dallas-based ClubCorp was founded in 1957 and operates in 28 states, Washington, D.C., China and Mexico.

It also owns sports and business clubs, with a combined total of 430,000 members.

The deal is expected to close by the final three months of the year. The company also declared it would pay a special dividend of 13 cents a share to shareholders on July 28.

With Tuesday’s opening of a Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza in Mentor, there now are 200 locations for the upstart chain in which the Akron native is an investor.

Forbes magazine reports that industry followers have declared Blaze the fastest-growing such chain ever. The chain has grown from just two locations in California in a little over five years.

James signed on early as not only an investor but also part of a franchise group in the Miami and Chicago markets, as well as an official endorser of the chain.

The move came as James ended his endorsement deal with the granddaddy of fast-food chains, McDonald’s.

Blaze caters to the fast- casual diner with a concept where customers — a la Chipotle — build their own pizzas that are then cooked in a brick oven in under three minutes.

The chain has been making its way into the Akron area with a location already open in Canton and others planned for Cuyahoga Falls and Strongsville.

James talked about how he became involved with Blaze in an April episode of the Kneading Dough podcast with partner and St. Vincent-St. Mary classmate Maverick Carter where athletes talk frankly about their finances.

With James’ $14 million to $15 million endorsement deal with McDonald’s set to expire, the pair visited the pizza chain’s first store in California to try it out.

James said in the podcast he was in after the first bite and was intrigued to be in on the ground floor of the growing chain.

He loved the variety of toppings and how fast the pizza is cooked.

“I was like, if we can’t [make this work] — who doesn’t love pizza?” he said. “I don’t know a person in the world who doesn’t love pizza. I don’t care what kind of diet you are on. Everybody loves pizza.”

Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547.

The crime wave happened after dark on both July 5 and July 6, Inspector William Holland said Tuesday.

Suspects entered unlocked vehicles and stole cash, credit cards, and purses, he said. In addition, investigators believe the same suspects stole a white, 2010 Lincoln Navigator that contained numerous firearms, Holland said. The license plate on the Navigator is CLGO01.

A home security system caught one of the suspects on camera before he drove away in the Navigator.

Holland asked anyone with information about the case to contact the Summit County Sheriff’s Office at 330-643-2131. Tips leading to a successful conviction may be eligible for a cash award through Summit County CrimeStoppers.

Three people died, while two others have so far survived.

“I can’t remember a weekend this busy,” said Capt. Daniel Zampelli, a police spokesman who has been with the department for more than 30 years.

The shootings were at:

• 5:20 a.m. Saturday: Officers responded to a shooting at 35 Oakdale Ave., where they found a man shot on the front porch. He was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The man’s name isn’t being released until he is positively identified, according to the police department.

• 8:25 a.m. Saturday: A 48-year-old woman was shot multiple times while driving at the intersection of Little Street and South Hawkins Avenue and crashed into a tree. She was transported to the Cleveland Clinic Akron General, where she was rushed into the operating room. She was shot in the face, neck and chest.

Vester Morrison Jr., 58, the victim’s estranged boyfriend, was charged with attempted aggravated murder, felonious assault and having weapons while under disability.

Police went to a home in the 200 block of Kelly Avenue about 12:15 p.m. Sunday where they believed Morrison was staying. Officers tried to convince Morrison to surrender, but he refused to leave the house.

A SWAT negotiator, after about two hours, convinced Morrison to surrender without further incident.

• 4 a.m. Sunday: A man died after exchanging gunfire with officers responding to a call about a woman being raped at gunpoint at 2070 Thurmont Road.

• 2 p.m. Sunday: Officers responded to a shooting at 766 Baird St. They found Giovanni Travis, 26, shot and unresponsive. He was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

• 11:15 a.m. Monday: Officers found a man who had been shot on the ground in the 800 block of Brown Street. He was conscious, and his injuries did not appear life-threatening, Zampelli said.

Zampelli said the Little Street/South Hawkins Avenue shooting and Thurmont Road incident both involved people who knew each other. He said officers aren’t yet sure if the other three shootings are related.

Anyone with information on any of the shootings is asked to call the detective bureau at 330-375-2490.

Under an Airbnb contract, she was required to pay extra if she had more than 20 people over.

A flyer about the party posted on social media, however, drew a large crowd of people in their 20s to the Sourek Road home Friday night.

“It morphed into 250 to 300 people,” said Bath Police Chief Michael McNeely.

The police went to the home about 11:15 p.m. While they were there, one of the partygoers, a 17-year-old male from Cleveland, was struck by a bullet in an apparent drive-by shooting. The teen was treated at a Cuyahoga County hospital for an injury that was not life-threatening.

A Bedford woman rented the home in the 3200 block of Sourek through Airbnb, a short-term home rental service.

The 2,894-square-foot, 2.5-bathroom, four-bedroom house is valued at $222,520, according to the Summit County Fiscal Office’s website.

Bath police responded to numerous complaints about noise and vehicles parked on the road. While officers were still clearing the crowd, they heard a gunshot at 12:34 a.m.

Officers didn’t locate a victim, but later learned that a gunshot victim was treated at University Hospitals in Cleveland and released.

Police said Lisa Yedidsion, the Sourek Road homeowner, has been cooperative and they are working with her to prevent a similar disturbance.

“She needs to monitor it better and have a plan in place for situations like this,” McNeely said.

Yedidsion couldn’t be reached for comment Monday. Her voicemail was full and unable to accept messages.

The Sourek Road house rents for $255 a night on Airbnb. The listing says the home isn’t available to anyone under 25 and is “perfect for parties and get-togethers both formal and non.” The house includes a large yard, tanning bed, fireplace, pool table and bar.

The home has received several positive reviews since April. “Great host, great neighborhood, great big house!” one person wrote in May. Reviewers mentioned renting it while in town for a concert at Blossom Music Center, hiking in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and hosting a baby shower.

Airbnb, founded in 2008 as AirBed & Breakfast, connects travelers with hosts using its website. It generates income by charging a service fee.

Across Ohio, people renting through Airbnb took in $17.5 million in 2016 from 130,000 people. This included people renting to out-of-town visitors to the Republican National Convention and the Cleveland Cavaliers championship run, according to Beacon Journal archives.

Jeff Henry, a spokesman for the San Francisco-based Airbnb, said in an email Monday that the company is working with Bath police to try to determine who was responsible for the shooting.

“There have been over 200 million guest arrivals in Airbnb listings and negative incidents are extremely rare,” Henry said. “But even one such incident is too many.”

The woman who rented the house has been permanently banned from Airbnb, and Airbnb will reimburse the home­owner for minor damage to her home under its $1 million host guarantee, Henry said.

Anyone with information about the Bath shooting is asked to call the police department 330-666-3736.

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705, swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj . Beacon Journal reporter Rick Armon contributed to this report.

The suspect, Ryan Allen Probst, 28, was killed in an exchange of gunfire outside of the Lela Avenue NW home in a tree-filled residential neighborhood.

Uniontown Police Sgt. David White, a 25-year police veteran who’s married and has four children, is in stable condition after having surgery for his injuries at an Akron hospital, Chief Harold Britt said.

“He’s a great guy,” the chief said Monday morning at a news conference at the Stark County Sheriff’s Office in Canton. “Everybody loves him.”

The Uniontown police district, located in northern Stark County, is a quiet, rural community known more for the Hartville Kitchen and Hartville Hardware than violent crime.

“This has really torn up the department,” Britt said.

He asked the public to keep White, who joined Uniontown police in 2002, and his family in their prayers.

Authorities said the shooting remains under investigation, and some details were either unclear or weren’t being released.

The Stark County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Ohio Bureau of Investigation, is investigating.

Sheriff George Maier said authorities had received a 911 call about a domestic disturbance at the residence. The suspect confronted two officers as soon as they arrived at 10:16 p.m. and he fired several shots, Maier said.

The officers returned fire.

“Domestic violence calls are one of the most dangerous calls officers respond to,” Maier said.

The Uniontown officer who wasn’t struck has been placed on paid administrative leave, per department policy.

The sheriff didn’t know what type of weapon Probst had or where on his body White had been shot.

Previous incidents

Police had responded to the home numerous times in the past, and there had been guns removed from the home during previous incidents, he said.

Probst was the only one home at the time of the shooting, Maier said. There had been people at the residence earlier.

Probst’s Facebook page said he had attended Lake High School and had served in the U.S. Marines from June 2008 to December 2011. He also posted several photos of himself riding a motorcycle.

His wife had filed for divorce in September 2014, but it was withdrawn, according to Stark County Common Pleas Court records.

A man at Probst’s home Monday morning declined to comment.

A neighbor, Ron McMorrow, said Probst was raised by his grandparents and alternated living at his grandparents’ home and with his wife and their 3-year-old daughter in a house across the street.

“I hate to see something like that happen. Now she’s going to be without a husband, the kid isn’t going to have a father,” McMorrow said. “It’s terrible.”

Authorities cited previous run-ins with the law during their news conference.

Probst was convicted of aggravated menacing in 2015, disorderly conduct in 2012, and disorderly conduct in 2008, according to local court records.

Britt said it’s the first time that he knows of that a Uniontown police officer was shot in the line of duty.

The last time an officer was injured was in 2011, when Capt. Dan Stiles was struck and killed as he directed traffic at Kaufman Avenue NW and state Route 619.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 330-430-3800.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ .

A person familiar with the situation confirmed Monday the holdup is over the amount of guaranteed money Peppers will receive in his four-year contract. The deal will include a fifth-year team option because he was selected in the first round (No. 25 overall).

ProFootballTalk.com first reported the key sticking point in negotiations between the Browns and Peppers’ agent, Todd France of Creative Artists Agency.

Of the eight unsigned picks, five were top 10 selections. Oakland Raiders cornerback Gareon Conley (No. 24 overall) and Peppers are the other players from the opening round without finalized deals. Raiders safety Obi Melifonwu (second round, No. 56) also has yet to sign.

Conley, a Massillon High School and Ohio State product, being unsigned creates an obstacle in Peppers’ contract being resolved. Conley lacks a deal while he’s still embroiled in a sexual assault investigation in Cleveland.

As PFT pointed out, the No. 23 pick, New York Giants tight end Evan Engram, and the No. 26 selection, Atlanta Falcons defensive end Takkarist McKinley, received full guarantees for the first three years of their contracts but a difference of $900,000 in guarantees in the fourth and final year. Engram got $1.55 million guaranteed in the fourth year. McKinley got $655,000 in the fourth year.

With no deal in place for Conley, there is more room for haggling about Peppers, who was picked one spot later. Peppers’ deal will be worth $10.342 million and include a signing bonus of $5.661 million, according to the contract website Spotrac.com. Exactly how much will be guaranteed, though, needs to be hammered out.

Browns rookies are scheduled to report to training camp July 23. Camp opens July 27.

So there is still plenty of time for the Browns to get Peppers under contract and ensure he doesn’t miss a sliver of training camp.

Rookie contracts have been slotted by draft position since the NFL and NFL Players Association agreed to the current collective bargaining agreement in 2011. The revamped system has made it extremely rare for rookies to hold out during training camp.

Yet exceptions exist.

San Diego Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa, who was drafted third overall, didn’t sign last summer until 31 days after he was scheduled to report to training camp.

Like Peppers, Bosa is represented by CAA. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the Chargers finally signed Bosa after France became the chief negotiator. Brian Ayrault, who also works for CAA, previously led the talks on Bosa’s behalf.

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.

The Akron Board of Education passed the motion 5-1 Monday night, with the sole dissenter being board member Debbie Walsh.

“While I’m very concerned about the safety of our students, I’m also equally as concerned about the message it’s going to send,” Walsh said. “I think there’s often too much of an attitude of, ‘As long as there’s Narcan, we’re safe’ … That’s just a message that I don’t want out there.”

For the rest of the board members, the move was seen as a proactive step toward preventing death as the region deals with an opioid epidemic.

“It could be a son or child or granddaughter. No one’s immune from this stuff, nobody,” said school board member John Otterman, who initially proposed the policy to the board last year. “I just hope that, if it’s necessary, it’ll be available to save somebody.”

Once the planned middle school and high school mergers are completed by the 2017-18 school year, APS will have six high schools and nine middle schools; each will receive two doses of the antidote in the form of nasal spray.

The school resource officers who are placed at each school, along with one additional officer who patrols between schools, will have access to the naloxone. The officers, who have been trained to administer naloxone, will check the doses out when they start their shifts and return them at the end of their shifts.

The naloxone will be stored in the schools’ health clinics “for security purposes,” and they can be administered to anybody on school grounds, said Debra Foulk, the executive director of business affairs for APS.

Foulk said the next step is to begin writing administrative guidelines, which will be approved and reviewed regularly by the Summit County health department. She anticipates the guidelines being finalized and the naloxone moving into the schools at some point during this upcoming school year.

The move by APS is on par with schools across the country that are stocking their cabinets with naloxone in case of an overdose, especially since Adapt Pharma Ltd., the maker of Narcan, began offering a free carton of Narcan to all U.S. high schools last year.

APS high schools are eligible to receive the free doses, but Foulk said the board is still determining where to pull funding to place naloxone in the middle schools, which will cost about $1,000.

The policy wasn’t prompted by an overdose on school property. Since Gov. John Kasich signed a bill earlier this year that allows schools to have naloxone on hand, the board decided to move forward with the idea to prevent overdoses from happening in the first place.

“Whether it’s fire hydrants or anything else that we put in place to be proactive, I mean, you put those things there hoping that you’ll never have to use them, but you want them there if you do,” said school board President Patrick Bravo. “A lot of people ask why, and maybe the better question is, why not?”

Theresa Cottom can be reached at 330-996-3216 or tcottom@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @Theresa_Cottom .

Both announced their retirements Monday after decades at WEWS Channel 5. Jordan’s last day on the air will be July 28, while Bibb is slated to depart the first week of August.

Bibb, currently a reporter and the anchor of News 5 at Noon, joined the station in 1995. His distinguished career includes stops at WTOL in Toledo, WCMH in Columbus and Cleveland’s WKYC. He received a Bronze Star for his service during the Vietnam War.

Jordan, a reporter and the anchor of News 5 at 5, joined the station as co-host of The Morning Exchange in 1987. Like Bibb, she also worked at WCMH in Columbus before moving to Cleveland.

Both have degrees in journalism from Bowling Green State University, and both have won shelves full of broadcasting awards.

“When two legends of local television announce their retirement on the same day, it’s remarkable,” said Channel 5’s news director, Jeff Harris, in a news release. “We thank both Leon and Lee for their wonderful careers dedicated to the station and the people of Cleveland.”

There was no word yet on who would replace them.

“As we take time to mourn and grieve his passing, we also will come to honor him by continuing to pursue his vision and great energy and excitement he showed for the JRayl Transport business,” the company said on its website. “The business will continue to operate as Jeremy intended, which is to always deliver on our promises to customers and vendors … We always do what we say we will.”

The company’s website said Rayl died unexpectedly. The death was from natural causes, according to the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Rayl took over the family-owned business in 2008 from his father, Tim, who co-founded the short- and long-haul trucking company in 1987.

Several years ago, Rayl opened a compressed natural gas (CNG) station on Arlington Street in Akron for his company’s fleet of 70 — and growing — CNG-powered trucks back then.

“This is a strategic business decision,” he told the Akron Beacon Journal. “CNG costs less than diesel fuel, burns cleaner and reduces our fleet’s emissions.”

The company now has 134 CNG-powered trucks out of a fleet of 350.

The company website said Rayl had a pulse on the truck transportation industry and successfully navigated JRayl Transport through difficult times.

JRayl enjoyed double-digit growth under Rayl’s leadership, the company said.

“He has positioned the business to continue on this aggressive growth track,” the website says.

The company grew from about 100 employees when Rayl became CEO to more than 400 employees, with terminals in four states, at the time of his death. Along the way, he was the 2012 Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year for Northeast Ohio, while the company was listed as being among the best places to work in Northeast Ohio.

JRayl is operating under previously developed contingency plans and will continue to execute its current business plan with the company’s management team under the supervision of co-founder Tim Rayl.

The family’s obituary painted a portrait of a highly competitive man.

“He wasn’t happy just winning at something; he wanted to win by a lot. It didn’t matter whether it was at video games, at sports or in business; he brought a passion to everything,” they wrote.

Under his leadership, the company supported a number of community organizations, including Haven of Rest, YMCA, Make-A-Wish and Toys for Tots.

The family said his office was a shrine to Ohio sports.

He was a 1996 graduate of Green High School and had a business degree from John Carroll University.

He is survived by his wife, Beth, and son, Jacob; father, Tim; sister, Tara; nieces and nephew; grandparents and other family members; and friends.

Calling hours will be 3-7 p.m. Wednesday at the Chapel, 135 Fir Hill, Akron. The formal service will start at 7 p.m. Private internment will be at East Liberty Cemetery.

Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him @JimMackinnonABJ  on Twitter or www.facebook.com/JimMackinnonABJ