Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Man robbed at Tallmadge Avenue eatery
Another winter punch heading toward Ohio
Four teens restrain man, take items from his Akron home
Complaints against officer keep coming
Police: Ohio girl dies after fall into snow bank
Region makes way for latest batch of snow; cancellations rise
Cuyahoga Falls residents come home to find burning couch on balcony
Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Late surge gives Zips ugly road win
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
QB in Browns future: another mock draft
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Garfield at Buchtel basketball
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Citizens United v. F.E.C. (Part 4): Kennedy's and O'Connor's Basic Approaches to Constitutional Decisionmaking – Top Down and Bottom Up
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
Track HR Research
Akron Gamer:
Makers of 'Castle Crashers' unveil 'BattleBlock Theater'
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
Published on Wednesday, Nov 25, 2009
AKRON
Arrest in robbery
AKRON: An Akron man wanted for last weekend's robbery of a gas station has been taken into custody.
Larry Braziel, 56, was arrested about 7 a.m. Tuesday near his East Wilbeth Road home by Akron police and members of the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force.
Braziel is charged with Saturday's robbery of the Circle K gas station on Brown Street.
Police say he flashed a gun in his waistband and demanded cash from a clerk. He fled with an undisclosed amount of money.
Braziel is being held in the Summit County Jail.
Offices to close
AKRON: Today is the last day this year that city offices will shut down two hours early — at 2:30 p.m. — to save money.
Akron began the early closures Oct. 2 on each Friday afternoon. The city also decided to shut down early today, the last day before Thanksgiving.
The mandatory furloughs meant that many employees went from 40-hour to 38-hour work weeks.
The furloughs were part of Akron's effort to address a projected budget shortfall of as much as $8 million by the end of the year.
The change in hours applies to the municipal offices in City Hall, the Morley Health Center, Citicenter — except the athletic center — the Ocasek building and Cascade Plaza.
ALLIANCE
Nurses OK strike
ALLIANCE: Union nurses at Alliance Community Hospital this week authorized a 10-day strike notice and said they plan to walk out if a deal can't be struck before their contract expires at midnight Dec. 6.
The nurses will maintain a picket line starting at 7 a.m. Dec. 6 if an agreement isn't reached, according to a release from the Ohio Nurses Association.
The union represents 176 registered nurses at the community hospital.
''We have every interest in reaching an agreement with the hospital that allows us to ensure patient safety while attracting and retaining qualified and dedicated RN staff,'' Gary Seigerst, ONA labor relations specialist and chief negotiator for the bargaining unit, said in a statement.
Hospital leadership and union officials have been in talks since Oct. 13.
''It is the responsibility of ACH administration to ensure the hospital's future by keeping costs down and wages at a reasonable, competitive rate in order to maintain our position of strength as the largest employer in this community,'' the hospital said in a statement released Tuesday. '' . . . Though details of the ongoing discussions between ACH and ONA are confined to the negotiating table, it is a fact that ACH administration seeks equity in asking its work force to make sacrifices for the good of the hospital and the community.''
A federal mediator has been called in to assist with the negotiations.
BATH TWP.
Plan approved
BATH TWP.: Trustees have signed off on a resolution confirming Bath's support and participation in the Balanced Growth Initiative Watershed Management Plan for Furnace Run.
Bath is one of seven communities being asked to participate in the plan for the Cuyahoga River tributary, and 7 percent of the township lies within the watershed, said Trustee Elaina Goodrich.
Richfield Village Mayor Mike Lyons is leading the effort to address a watershed and stream stewardship plan within the Furnace Run Watershed and become eligible for funding.
Bath will appoint two community members to the initiative from an eight-member applicant list.
Changing signs
BATH TWP.: The Bath Board of Zoning Appeals has approved a request of West Market Plaza Limited Partnership to allow multi-tenant listings on two of the three signs for the plaza.
The approval will permit the listing of tenant names on the existing sign along Medina Road and the larger of the two signs on North Cleveland-Massillon Road.
CANTON
Crossing work
CANTON: City council has authorized the administration to enter into agreements with the state to improve four railroad crossings.
The city, which is eligible for a $500,000 grant for the improvements, may enter agreements with the Ohio Department of Transportation and/or the Ohio Rail Commission.
The council also passed a resolution urging the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections not to place a halfway house at the former Ambassador Hotel in Canton Township.
Members also resolved to encourage the development of sister city agreements with the cities of Akko, Israel, and Saltillo, Mexico.
KENT STATE
Four males arrested
KENT: Kent State University police made four arrests late Monday and early this morning in connection with the robbery of two KSU students over the weekend.
Police said a tip from a KSU student along with campus surveillance systems helped them identify and arrest the four male suspects: students Jose Lino, 18, of Akron; Daejshon Norton, 18, of Erie, Pa.; and Mykel Benson, 18, of Cleveland; and a juvenile who is not a Kent State student. His name was not released.
The four are accused of robbing two KSU students at 3 a.m. Sunday in the commons area north of the Art Building.
''The men arrested in this incident are not representative of our student body,'' KSU President Lester A. Lefton said in a written release.
''The success of the arrests was a joint effort between our police department and our students who stepped up to provide tips, including the one that ultimately led to these arrests,'' Lefton said. ''I appreciate the efforts of the community, in particular our students, to get involved and watch out for each other.''
MEDINA
Parking deck opens
MEDINA: The Medina Courthouse Parking Structure at the Medina County Courthouse at 93 Public Square will have a grand opening ceremony at noon Monday.
The $5.1 million parking deck was funded by the city of Medina, Medina County, and the Medina County Library system.
There are 352 spaces in the deck.
Landscaping for the project, to include plantings, shade trees, and benches will be completed in the spring.
STARK COUNTY
Jurors' pay cut
CANTON: Stark County grand jury members will not be paid until their 11th day of service, under terms of a decision county commissioners made Tuesday.
Commissioners Peter Ferguson and Tom Harmon took the action at the request of common pleas judges. Commissioner Todd Bosley did not attend the meeting.
The move is expected to save $29,000 a year.
Although grand jurors will not be paid the $15 a day they had received for their first 10 days of service, they will receive $22.50 a day for additional days in their term. Grand juries generally meet weekly for three months.
Trial jurors are not paid unless they serve in cases in which the death penalty may be imposed.
Also Tuesday, commissioners scheduled a public hearing about the proposed annexation of the Poets Glen area from Tuscarawas Township to Massillon. It will begin at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 in the Tuscarawas Township Hall.
The 61.9-acre tract straddles Wooster Street at the city's western edge.
STOW
Food drive ongoing
STOW: Nonperishable food items can be dropped off at Stow City Hall to be donated to the Stow United Methodist Church food pantry this holiday season.
Mayor Karen Fritschel urged Stow residents to remember their neighbors who are struggling.
''You can give to the Salvation Army, Haven of Rest, Good Neighbors, Open-M,'' Fritschel said ''It's a difficult year for many families in our area. We need to do what we can to provide for them.''
Winter celebration
STOW: Stow's Winter Wonderland celebration will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 3760 Darrow Road.
Mayor Karen Fritschel said guests can enjoy hot chocolate, cookies and a visit with Santa Claus.
Children can make a holiday craft inside and take a train ride outside.
WADSWORTH
Chipotle plans
WADSWORTH: The Planning Commission on Monday approved a Chipotle Mexican Grille at 990 High St.
Plans call for an outdoor eating area with 20 seats to be added to the northeast corner of the building.
Blockbuster Video currently occupies the site.
AKRON
Get the full article here.
RE: Offices to Close. According to a memo from the Mayor's office, the mandatory furloughs are being EXTENDED thru the end of the year.
