Falls Police, FBI Looking for Bank Robbery Suspect
Written by Ryan Lang
(Cuyahoga Falls Police Facebook) -- At approximately 11:20 AM, a woman entered the Huntington Bank located at 2303 2nd Street in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. When she approached the teller counter, she showed the teller a note demanding money. She was last seen leaving the area on foot. She is further described as a black female, between 5'3" and 5'5" tall.
Akron Mayor on Doorbell Security Cameras, Vaccine Mandates, and West Side Housing Developments
Written by Jeanne DestroThe City of Akron could provide doorbell security cameras for residents in high crime areas sometime soon. That word from Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan today, though he says they're still working out details of a plan that's been in the works since last year.
Jeanne Destro also asked whether him whether or not the city will mandate COVID vaccinations for employees, and how a couple of big housing projects planned for the city's West side are coming along.
(City of Akron) Akron, Ohio, September 9, 2021 — Today, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan released a Five Point Framework for Community Violence Reduction in Akron. The Framework is designed to communicate the City’s broad work in the area of violence reduction, identify key partners in these varied and ongoing efforts, and inspire further community conversation. Importantly, this Framework paves the way for the Mayor’s allotment of $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding toward youth and community violence prevention.
“The rising level of gun violence we have witnessed over the past year is tragic and unacceptable. Too many lives have been lost and too many families and communities left in grief and fear. As City leaders, reducing violent crime is our top priority. It will take a whole-of-Akron approach to truly make a difference and reduce gun violence, long-term," said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan. "We will work with the community to address the root causes of violence, including unmet mental health needs and underfunded recreational and mentoring resources. We will also work across the criminal justice system to identify gaps, target enforcement to known hot spots and dangerous offenders, and advocate for state and federal policy that supports a safer Akron.”
“Violence prevention is not a one-strategy-fits-all issue,” Mayor Horrigan continued. “It is an exceedingly complex problem that require diverse, coordinated, robust strategies that are people-centered and community driven. Parents, pastors, law enforcement officers, teachers, employers, elected officials, social service providers, coaches, judges, and community leaders—we all have a part to play. Akron is known for its strength at coordination and ability to rally around shared goals. Nothing is more important than breaking the cycle of loss, trauma, fear, and disinvestment that gun violence inflicts on our community. I hope this Framework helps us organize our collective work going forward. It is a living document, and I look forward to inspiring ongoing community conversation on ways to build on these strategies and approaches, as we begin to invest millions of federal dollars into effective violence prevention strategies across Akron.”
The 5 point Framework builds on the work of the Youth Violence Prevention Taskforce first convened in 2016 and will focus on these key pillars: Prevention, Intervention & Support, Enforcement, Partnership & Advocacy, and Community Accountability.
- Prevention: Stop violence before it starts by providing community members with stable neighborhoods, healthy recreational opportunities, and economic hope.
- Intervention & Support: Intervening in the lives of at risk individuals, reducing overall community violence.
- Enforcement: Police and Judicial partners are essential to keeping dangerous offenders out of our neighborhoods and cutting off networks of illegal guns, drugs, and violence.
- Partnership & Advocacy: Strong partnerships, effective legislation, and state and national policy around reducing violence will be necessary to have long lasting impacts on violence.
- Community Accountability: Empowering neighborhoods and stakeholders to take ownership of the problem and the solutions.
New Texas Abortion Law: Could It Happen Here?
Written by Tony MazurTexas just passed the nation's most restrictive abortion law, which outlaws the procedure even in cases of rape and incest, unless it takes place within the first six weeks.
What is more stunning though, is that the US Supreme Court let it go into effect, despite Constitutional protection provided through the much disputed, but still in force, Roe v. Wade decision which affirms a woman's right to choose. In addition, the new Texas "Heartbeat Bill" it takes enforcement of the statute out of the hands of the state, and allows private citizens to seeek monetary damages from abortion providers, and anyone who helps a woman get an abortion.
Since Ohio's majority Republican legislature has tried a number of times to restrict abortion access, failing either at the Governor's office, or in the courts; this is a legal tactic sure to garner some interest in the Ohio Statehouse.
But, though Texas' action is unusual, and could portend some great changes on the national level; it has not yet actually been argued in the US Supreme Court. Instead, the high court allowed it to go into effect without objection, through what's known as the "Shadow Docket".
So, what does that mean?
Listen now, as Jeanne Destro tries to untangle all the complicated legal issues with local attorney, and former University of Akron Law Professor, J. Dean Carro.
Delta Variant Causing Concern For Most Ages, Health Officials Urge More Vaccinations
Written by Tony Mazurto how improved the testing has been the last year and a half.
This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro-9-3-21: Ohio's New Cyber Warriors Featured
Written by Jeanne Destro
As the US deals with the tumultuous end of the war in Afghanistan, preparations are underway for defeating our enmies on two entirely different battlefields; cyberspace, and outer space, and they're taking place in Mansfield, Ohio.
Find out how and why, with Major General John C. Harris, who, as Ohio's 83rd Adjutant General; commands several branches of the US military in Ohio, including the Air National Guard.
We're also talking to University of Akron Computer Science Professor, Dr. John Nicholas, who is actively involved in training the next generation of cyber warriors, as well as Incident Response Lead, Tyler Hudak from Akron area-based Information Security Consulting firm, TrustedSec, on the role private sector companies play in keeping their systems and customer data safe from cyber attacks.
Ohio's 83rd Adjutant General, Major General John C. Harris
Dr. John NIcholas, University of Akron
Tyler Hudak, Incident Response Lead, TrustedSec
To Mask or Not to Mask: School Superintendents Speak Out
Written by Tony MazurThe school year is a couple of weeks old, and unlike the 2020-2021 year, there are not statewide mask mandates, restrictions, and remote or hybrid learning in place. It has been up to each superintendent of one's district, along with the school boards, to make those decisions. Just this week, Walsh Jesuit, Manchester, Stow-Munroe Falls, Cuyahoga Falls, Tallmadge, and Wadsworth implemented mandatory masking in their districts. Andy Hill is the superintendent of Wadsworth schools, and he joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to touch on the outbreak of COVID-19 in his district and the decision to mask the students and faculty.
Coventry schools also had an outbreak this week, and superintendent George Fisk talked about their policy.
More...
University of Akron Microbiologist Discusses Easy Transmissibility of Delta Variant
Written by Tony MazurPublic Health Officials' Concern Over Labor Day Gatherings
Written by Tony MazurAs with every holiday the last 18 months, there is a concern among everyone in the healthcare and public health industries about the spread of COVID-19 during gatherings. Many Americans plan to get together this weekend for Labor Day, as it signifies the end of summer. Donna Skoda is the commissioner of the Summit County Health Department, and she urged caution about those Labor Day gatherings on the Ray Horner Morning Show. If those plan on having a Labor Day outing, she recommends having it outdoors with everyone wearing masks. The topic of booster shots is on the minds of many, and Skoda also touched on what she knows about that third jab. From what she and other health officials know at this time, the booster should be available eight months after one received their shots, and those wanting the booster should wait for that full eight month threshold to approach.
Summa CEO Looks at Current COVID-19 Numbers, Fall Booster Shots
Written by Tony MazurU.S. Marshals: Missing Teens Believed to be in Akron
Written by Ryan Lang
U.S. Marshals are asking the public's help finding three missing Akron-area teens.
The search for the three girls started as a part of Operation Safe Space earlier in August.
First, 15-year-old Zamaria Hill has been missing out of Barberton sicne January 14th.
Fourteen-year-old Cyncere Franklin was last seen more recently, August 3rd, near Copley Road in Akron.
The third case, 15-year-old Sarah Jo Clark, also hasn't been seen since August 3rd in Brunswick. While none of the teens are connected, Marshals believe that all three are likely in or around the Akron area.
Anyone with information is asked to call Akron Police or the U.S. Marshals Service.