A 16 year old boy is in critical condition today, after being shot at about 11:00PM Thursday night by a 17 year old boy at a home in the 2300 block of East Waterloo Road, in Springfield Township.

Springfield Township Police Chief, Jack Simone, says it appears the shooting was unintentional, and they do not know yet how the teens got hold of the gun, which had been in another part of the home.

The 17 year old who allegedly pulled the trigger, though, was arrested, and is in Juvenile detention now facing charges of Felonious Assault.

Both boys are students in Akron Public Schools, and police say support services are being offered to students.

With a nationwide pilot shortage putting a real strain on the airline industry; Walsh University in North Canton is streamlining its Bachelor of Science in Aviation degree program. 

We talked to the University’s President, Dr. Tim Collins, who flies his own private plane, is a former US Air Force Fighter Pilot, and has also worked in Aviation technology research.

On today's edition of "This Week In Tech with Jeanne Destro", find out more about how they are aiming to help ease the ongoing pilot shortage, through an innovative, and collaborative degree program with American Winds College of Aeronautics, in Akron.

Listen now.

Dr. Tim Collins, President, Walsh University

Cuyahoga Falls Police are asking for tips to help them find the driver of a silver Ford hatchback, who fled the scene after striking a woman near the intersection of 2nd Street and Stow Avenue, at around 9PM Tuesday night.

They say the woman had fallen on the sidewalk, landed partially in the street, and that the vehicle travelling Northeast on 2nd Street hit her as she was trying to get up.

Anyone that may have information about the incident may call Cuyahoga Falls Police at 330-928-2181, submit an anonymous tip through the ‘tip 411’ app or by texting keyword CFPD to 847411, add a space, type in your tip information and hit send.

Wow, what an event out at the Goodyear Wingfoot Lake Blimp hangar in Mogadore over this past weekend in Mogadore!

There were so many cars in line Sunday, that it took nearly four hours to wind through, and get inside to donate a gift to the company's annual Toys for Tots charity drive, but it was worth the wait.

Check out the pictures below, for your "up close and personal" encounter with Santa, the blimp, and more. 

(Photo: Patty DelGreco)

(Photo: Jeanne Destro)

(Photo: Jeanne Destro)

(Photo: Jeanne Destro)

(Photo: Patty DelGreco)

(Photo: Patty DelGreco)

(Photo: Patty DelGreco)

From the "Grandparent Scam" where tricksters try to extort people for money by convincing them someone in their family is in terrible danger, to disinformation so toxic it threatens democracy itself; voice cloning enabled by Artificial Intelligence (AI) is posing unprecedented challenges to law enforcement, and to society as a whole.

So, in an effort to safeguard consumers, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched "The Voice Cloning Challenge", which aims to crowdsource innovative ways to combat ever more sophisticated technology that can steal people's voices, and use them in ways that are not only criminal, but also costly, in terms of personal reputations and livelihoods.

Listen now to our coverage of a recent FTC hearing in Washington, DC, and and analysis from Cybersecurity experts who think while the idea has merit; it also has the potential to open us up to a different danger–more government surveillance.

Find out why on our latest edition of "This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro". Listen now.

Akron Police have arrested a suspect they allege shot somebody in the face on Tuesday night outside the "Lusty Adventures", nightclub at 41 Stanton Avenue, just because he wouldn't share his bag of chips.

The 31 year old man, who took himself to the hospital, later told Police that the suspect produced a large handgun and shot him after he denied the man's request for some potato chips, and that the suspect then fled the scene in an unknown vehicle.

Now, police say they believe they have the man who pulled the trigger in custody.

Police say they found 42 year old Melvin Wright at the Metro Transit Center on South Broadway, that he had a gun with him that may have been used in the crime, and that he is now charged Felonious Assault, and Weapons Under Disability.

With a plot ripped straight from recent national headlines, playwright Eric Mansfield explores the red hot political topic of book banning in schools.

What if efforts to keep students from reading certain books, goes too far? What if students rise up to defend a brave teacher who has been allowing her students to read material on the state’s new official “banned books” list?

Find out when “Trial By Fire” opens Thursday, January 18, 2024, at Firestone High School in Akron.

Additional performances will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 19, and at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 20, and at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 21. Tickets are on sale now at Akron.Booktix.com. All seats are general admission, and cost $10.00. 

A pre-show discussion will be held at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, January 18, 2024, in the school’s Learning Resource Center. This informal chat is free and open to the public and will feature cast members as well as members of the production team. Patrons may attend the discussion even if they are attending the show on a different night.

Playwright Eric Mansfield is an Emmy Award-Winning TV Journalist, retired U.S. Army Officer, current PR professional, and Dramatist Guild member based in Akron, Ohio. He is continuing his passion for storytelling through playwriting and other creative outlets. 

Eric considers himself a modern dramatist and saw the growing debate over banning books in America as a topic worth exploring on the stage. 

"Trial by Fire" was first drafted during Eric’s graduate work with the NEOMFA program at Kent State University and further developed during a summer workshop with the Millennial Theatre Project in Akron. Firestone Theatre is producing the world premiere of this play.

Playwright, Eric Mansfield 

Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett has released the results of an internal investigation into the Jayland Walker shooting, which exonerates the officers of any wrongdoing in the incident which made national headlines, and resulted in months of civil unrest in Akron; some of it violent.

Walker, who was black, was shot on June 2, 2022, following a high speed chase along the highway, during which he shot at police.

At the time; Police claimed that they were acting in self defense, because he made a gesture they interpreted as threatening. It wasn't until after he was dead, that they discovered his gun was still in his car, and that when he turned toward police and made the cross-body gesture they thought meant he was going to shoot at them; he was actually unarmed.

Since that time, the the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation looked into the incident, and their findings were presented to a Grand Jury in Summit County, which last April declined to return criminal indictments against any of the eight officers involved.

In addition, attorneys for the Walker family have filed a $25 million dollar civil lawsuit against the City of Akron, and they have asked the US Departent of Justice to look into their claims of police excessive use of force and civil rights violations.

Mylett concludes: "While certainly tragic, after having reviewed the BCI investigation and Lt. Lieke’s investigation, and the City’s policy, similar to the Special Grand Jury, I find that that the use of deadly force was objectively reasonable and the officers complied with the use of force policy. As I already stated, this was a very dynamic, dangerous and fluid event and all officers were focused on safely apprehending the fleeing suspect and when presented with a reasonably perceived life-threatening danger, acted to protect themselves and their fellow officers."

You can read the entire Executive Summary, below:

Akron Police are trying to find out who left three 15 year old boys injured on Saturday afternoon, after a drive-by shooting near the intersection of South Arlington Street and Delos.

They say they found one teen who had been shot in the leg, inside a nearby Dollar General Store, where he had gone after getting shot while walking down the street with two other boys. Police found a second victim, also shot in a "lower extremity", at a house in the 1100 block of Santee Avenue.

Both teens were taken to the hospital, and then later, the third shooting victim who got there on his own, also showed up at the hospital. None of their injuries were life-threatening.

Now, police are looking for suspects.

If you can help; contact the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490 or 330-375-2Tip.

You can also provide anonymous information to any of the following:

• Call The Summit County Crimestoppers, at 330-434-COPS
• Text TIPSCO with your tips to 274637.
• In addition, you can download the Akron PD app, and submit information by texting Tips411 or accessing the link at www.AkronCops.org.