AKRON
Detective indicted
AKRON: A Summit County jury indicted an Akron police detective on 13 counts following a two-month investigation.
Bob Pankonien, 52, a 19-year veteran assigned to the burglary unit of the Akron Police Department, is charged with pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, sexual battery, gross sexual imposition, sexual imposition and unauthorized use of an Ohio law enforcement database.
“I will closely monitor the legal process in this matter and do whatever it takes to preserve the trust of the public we are sworn to serve,” Chief James Nice said in a news release Friday.
In the indictment, the counts refer to different incidents dating back to 1992.
Pankonien was booked into the Summit County Jail on Friday and released on a $50,000 bond with 10 percent allowed.
He was placed on administrative leave without pay, pending the outcome of the case.
— WEWS TV-5
Ward 10 meeting
AKRON: Garry Moneypenny, Ward 10 councilman, will have a ward meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Akron-Summit County Public Library’s Goodyear branch, 60 Goodyear Blvd.
An Akron police officer will discuss home security and burglaries.
Job fair is today
AKRON: The city is hosting a job fair for anyone interested in joining Akron’s police or fire departments.
The event will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at the Job Center, 1040 E. Tallmadge Ave. Recruiters will be on hand to speak with prospective applicants and assistant with online applications. Applicants are encouraged to bring an updated resume.
In September, Mayor Don Plusquellic said the city intends to hire about 40 police officers and about 38 firefighters.
The age restriction for police is 21 to 31 years old. For firefighters, the range is 18 to 31 years old.
For more information on eligibility requirements, call the city personnel department at 330-375-2720.
AKRON SCHOOLS
Levy voters thanked
AKRON: Nearly 20 teachers and the principal of Robinson Community Learning Center canvassed the corner of Fourth Avenue and South Arlington Street on Friday afternoon.
They carried the same signs they’ve been campaigning behind since the district proposed a 7.9-mill levy in July.
But the red-and-white signs that have littered lawns for the past month had one noticeable difference: a thank you.
“Where we said, ‘please’ before, now we’re saying ‘thank you,’ ” said Cleopatra Clifford, a fourth-year teacher at Robinson.
The teachers voiced their appreciation as passers-by honked horns in approval.
With about a 60 percent approval, Principal Charles Jones isn’t taking the levy’s passage lightly.
“These days a lot of levies don’t pass,” Jones said.
The Akron Public Schools district has cut about 133 staff positions this year, including two teachers from Robinson’s personnel.
COLUMBUS
Panel convened
COLUMBUS: The Ohio Supreme Court appointed a five-judge panel to review Monday’s grievance decision directing Summit County Common Pleas Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer to pay attorney fees for an alleged violation of campaign finance laws.
The earlier grievance ruling was by the high court’s Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline in connection with judicial conduct.
The board declined to discipline or sanction Stormer, but instead ordered her to pay fellow Common Pleas Judge Alison McCarty, a Republican, $2,000 in legal fees.
McCarty, who was defeated by Stormer in Tuesday’s election for the hotly contested race for Summit probate judge, filed the grievance earlier this month.
It claimed Stormer and county Democrats held two fundraisers in which contributions were categorized by amounts.
The Ohio Supreme Court banned the so-called “tiered contribution” levels in 1995.
McCarty said events raised about $47,500, all of which was turned over to Stormer’s campaign.
Stormer, a Democrat, said fellow Dems have hosted such tiered donation events — for “saluting” judges or holding “meets and greets” with judicial candidates — for several years without complaint.
In Tuesday’s election, Stormer won 53.09 percent of the nearly 189,000 votes cast for probate judge, compared to McCarty’s 46.91 percent.
STARK COUNTY
Libraries closed
CANTON: The Stark County District Library, including all branches, bookmobiles, Kidmobiles and services, will be closed Wednesday for staff training.
The system will resume regular hours Thursday.
WATERLOO SCHOOLS
Building disinfected
ATWATER: Waterloo Middle School disinfected common areas of the building this week after learning a student tested positive for MRSA, a staph infection that is resistant to antibiotics.
In a letter sent to parents, school officials encouraged students to take preventative measures.
“Staph is present everywhere. It is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, most often through openings in the skin such as cuts and scrapes. To prevent transmission of staph please have your child use good hand washing, cover scrapes and cuts. Do not share any personal items,” the letter said.
“If your child develops rashes, pimples, or boils that do not heal, please contact your health-care provider.”
Symptoms of MRSA include fever, chest pain, cough, fatigue, headache and rash.
Superintendent Andrew Hill said the school was notified of the MRSA diagnosis on Tuesday and disinfected the school.
