AKRON
Bank branch robbed
AKRON: Police detectives were looking for a man in his late 20s who robbed the FirstMerit Bank at 840 Brittain Road at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The man was described as white, about 6 feet tall, about 220 pounds with brown, balding hair and a slight beard.
He had a note saying he had a gun, but no weapon was seen. No one was hurt. The amount stolen was undisclosed.
Anyone with information may call 330-375-2490.
AURORA
Drug bust nets 18
AURORA: An Aurora man was among 18 people arrested in a wide-ranging federal investigation into drug trafficking.
Derek Williams, 50, was arrested Monday by federal agents and members of the Portage County Drug Task Force. His arrest came after a search of his Sycamore Lane apartment, where authorities seized an undetermined amount of marijuana packaged for sale, drug paraphernalia and about $9,000.
Portage County Sheriff David W. Doak said Williams was the kingpin of a widespread drug operation.
Williams and the other 17 men are accused of being involved in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Dual GOP benefits
AKRON: A fundraiser for state Sen. Frank LaRose, R-Copley Township, and state Rep. Anthony DeVitis, R-Green, will be held this evening at Carovillese Lodge and Club, 570 E. Cuyahoga Falls Ave.
A cocktail hour will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a VIP reception and dinner from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the cocktail hour are $35 per person or $60 per couple. For the reception and dinner, they are $250 or $500.
For more information or to RSVP, call 330-413-3345 or send an email to mc327503@gmail.com.
CUYAHOGA FALLS
Army veteran on TV
Army Sgt. Louis Loftus, a veteran of battle in the Middle East, will be the subject of a segment on Rock Center with Brian Williams tonight that focuses on post-traumatic stress disorder.
Rock Center’s Richard Engel followed the Cuyahoga Falls man over a two-year span as the soldier worked to go about daily life while dealing with PTSD.
NBC said the “segment is about how an average man tackled an illness that is all too common amongst our armed forces.”
The broadcast airs at 10 p.m. on WKYC-TV (Channel 3).
NORTHEAST OHIO
Green energy tour
The Akron Zoo, Metro Regional Transit Authority and Crown Point Ecology Center will showcase their green efforts during the 10th annual Green Energy Ohio Tour from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Participants will meet at the Akron Zoo, 500 Edgewood Ave., to sign in. Participation is free, but space is limited and registration is required.
For the first 60 registered, the city of Akron will offer a free trolley ride to each location.
Other participants may caravan in their own vehicles.
For more information, call 330-375-2550, ext. 7310.
In addition, there will be a free bus tour in Stark County. It will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with seven stops. Meet at Stark State College’s Business & Entrepreneurial Studies Center, 6200 Frank Ave. NW, Jackson Township. To register, call 330-453-7889 or go to http://2012starkcountytour.eventbrite.com.
For information on Ohio solar tours, go to www.greenenergyohio.org/ost.
Foreclosure clinic
AKRON: Homeowners experiencing difficulty making their mortgage payments are invited to attend a Foreclosure Assistance Clinic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at the Veterans Service Commission, 1060 E. Waterloo Road, Akron.
Representatives from Bank of America, Chase, Fifth Third, GMAC, Huntington and Wells Fargo will be available to meet with their borrowers.
For homeowners whose mortgages are not with one of those lenders, local housing counseling agencies will be available to offer assistance.
For more information go to www.co.summit.oh.us/conaffairs.htm or call at 330-643-2879.
RAVENNA
Trio held in shooting
RAVENNA: Three men were arrested after a 23-year-old Ravenna man was wounded Tuesday night in a shooting.
The victim was taken to Robinson Memorial Hospital. Authorities did not release details about his wounds.
Ravenna police were called to the 700 block of Sapp Road about 10 p.m.
Antwan Ashford, 20, and Torrence Williams, 19, both of Cleveland, were charged with felonious assault and aggravated robbery. Cory Fields, 18, of Ravenna, was charged with obstructing justice.
All three were being held at the Portage County Justice Center.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Ravenna police at 330-296-6486.
SUMMIT COUNTY
Offenders sought
AKRON: A recent check on registered sex offenders in Summit County found that two of 150 convicts moved to new locations and did not register their new addresses with authorities, the sheriff’s office said in a news release Wednesday.
Deputies and the county probation department recently conducted verifications of registered sex offenders of more than 25 residences.
The departments are in the process of checking each of the 930 registered offenders in the county.
Anyone with information regarding sex offenders may contact the sheriff’s office at 330-643-2164 or 330-643-2113.
A confidential tip can be left at www.co.summit.oh.us/sheriff/index.htm.
Trip to Columbus
AKRON: The Summit County Historical Society is organizing a daylong bus trip to Columbus on Tuesday that will include a visit to the governor’s mansion and a tour of the Statehouse.
The bus will leave the society’s parking lot at 550 Copley Road at 7:45 a.m. and will be back in Akron at 6 p.m.
Ohio Sen. Frank LaRose, R-Copley Township, will meet the group at the Statehouse.
Lunch at Schmidt’s Sausage Haus in German Village and a stop at Jeni’s Ice Cream on the way home are included in the ticket.
Cost is $45 for society members and $50 for nonmembers.
Reservations, which are due by Friday, can be made by calling 330-535-1120.
College Prep day
AKRON: The University of Akron will host its fourth annual Summit County College Day from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Last year, the fair, the largest in Summit County, attracted about 500 students.
This year, representatives from about 90 public, private and for-profit colleges from as far away as Rhode Island and South Carolina will be on hand to discuss admissions, costs and programs.
Jim Tressel, UA vice president for strategic engagement, will host an information session on Success is a Journey and Jeff Johnson, an account executive with Sallie Mae, a private company which originates federally insured student loans, will present Financial Planning for College.
There is no need to register. Free parking is available in the South Campus Parking Deck.
For more information, call 330-972-7100.
ZOARVILLE
Pancake breakfast
ZOARVILLE: Camp Tuscazoar will host its annual Fall Flapjack Flip pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the camp dining hall.
Tickets can be purchased at the door at $6 for adults and $3 for children 10 and under.
Proceeds from the breakfast will help with the cost of camp equipment and supplies used to produce its maple syrup this winter.
Bottles and jugs of Camp Tuscazoar’s all-natural syrup will be available for purchase.
The camp is at 6066 County Highway 83, Dover, two miles east of Zoar, near Zoarville.
WAYNE COUNTY
Voyager to speak
WOOSTER: Wooster Friends of the Library will meet at 7 p.m. Sunday in the main conference room of the Wayne County Public Library, 220 W. Liberty St., Wooster.
The meeting will feature Wooster resident Linda Brush, who will talk about the 5,000-mile, yearlong voyage she and her husband made on “The Great Loop” — a circular route of the eastern United States that involves the Atlantic Ocean, Great Lakes and rivers.
