:17 - As expected, magazine subscriptions are at all-time lows now. AARP magazine is number one, while Reader’s Digest comes in at #4. The panel also talked about ESPN: The Magazine pulling the plug this week, as well. 4:21 - Scott Callahan has been the head coach of the Hoban Knights girls basketball team for the last decade, but he has decided to step aside. Callahan talked to Ray about his decision 10:55 - Speaking of Scotts, our movie guy is named Scott Wynn, and he talked about what’s happening at the movie houses this weekend. Mainly movies not named Avengers: Endgame. 13:03 - Executive director of the ADM Board here in Akron, Jerry Craig, stopped by the studio to thank the frontline workers and first responders for those in this opioid epidemic. Jerry also talked about how the community has come together in these last five years to address this sad situation. 19:21 - Social security is on the minds of many, and News 5’s Jonathan Walsh is in Washington D.C. to get answers on spousal entitlements.
The Stow Police Department are looking for help finding missing 17-year-old Lauren Nicole Sheppard who hasn't been seen since early March.
According to a post to the Stow Police Facebook page, Lauren was last seen leaving her home in Stow on March 3rd, 2019. Her mother told police that she had a small duffel bag. Police report that she may be in the Akron area.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the Stow Police Department at 330-689-5700.
Congratulations to our 1590 WAKR Male and Female Student Athlete of the Year Scholarship Award Winners Nate Dobben of Norton High School and Alexis Radcliff of Kenmore-Garfield High School.
Both were awarded $1,000 scholarships on Wednesday evening as part of that night’s festivities. The banquet was held at St. George’s Fellowship Centre inFairlawn.
Nate says he’s humbled and honored with the scholarship.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Dobben said. “I really am grateful to receive this scholarship, it’s an amazing thing especially with so many amazing students here.”
Dobben played both football and basketball at Norton. He was also part of the Key Club, National Honor Society, Senior Class Vice President.
Upon graduation in the spring he will be studying Electrical Engineering in Fall of 2019 at the University of Akron.
Our next Student Athlete is Alexis Radcliff, from Kenmore/Garfield High School
She also talked about the honor and what it means for her future.
“It really means a lot and it’s really going to help me,” she said. “I’m so glad I got selected for this scholarship.”
This year Alexis was Academic All City, Player of the Year, and a member of the First Team in the Akron City Series.
Upon graduation in the spring, Radcliff plans on studying business management in college.
Thanks again to our sponsors Dominion East Ohio, TLC Catering, NECA-IBEW and Akron Children’s Hospital. Also thanks to G&G Fitness for sponsoring our Coaches of the Week.
We look forward to next year’s Student Athlete Banquet honoring high school athletes from the 2019-2020 school year.
Todd Casten, 47, of Ravenna Township was arrested early Monday morning after he allegedly drove his car into a Portage County Sheriff's cruiser... in reverse.
He was drunk... allegedly.
According to the press release from the Portage County Sheriff's Office, at about 1:20 Monday morning, one of his deputies was parked at the Circle K in Blackhorse, Ravenna Township, when he noticed Casten acting peculiarly. When he pulled out of the parking lot, Casten drove his car off the road, into a ditch. That's when the deputy turned on his emergency lights and attempted to stop Caten, who put his car in reverse and hit the gas, ramming into the deputy's cruiser. Casten then pulled away, trying to flee, but the deputy followed him, calling for backup. Not too far from the Circle K, on Spring Street, Casten stopped his car, and attempted to run, fighting with deputies in the process.
He was eventually arrested, charged with felony assault on an officer, failure to comply, resisting, and... his 10th OVI.
He's reportedly still being held in the Portage County Jail.
The Akron Zoo is mourning the loss, but more celebrating the legacy, of female Humbolt penguin Emmanuelle who was euthanized last week.
At 36-years-old, Emma, as she was known, was the oldest, zoo-born female Humbolt penguin in an accredited zoo. Emma, who's been retired since 2013, far-exceeded her life expectancy of 16 and a half years, according to a press release from the Akron Zoo.
The decision to euthanize was made last week as Emma was no longer responding to treatments she was being given for old age.
Born at the Milwaukee County Zoo in 1983, Emma has called the Akron Zoo home since 2004.
See more about Emma at the Akron Zoo website.
As the number of measles cases continues to rise nationwide, word that if you are a certain age, and have already received the vaccine; that might not be enough to protect you.
Dr. Tim Brown from Cleveland Clinic- Akron General, talked to Ray Horner about it this morning, and has the latest advice from the CDC.
(Kent State University) The Kent State University Board of Trustees has appointed Todd Diacon, Ph.D., Kent State’s executive vice president and provost, as its next university president at a special Board meeting held Monday, April 29. President-elect Diacon will begin his term as Kent State’s 13th president on July 1. He succeeds President Beverly J. Warren, who is stepping down as president after five years of exemplary service to the university.
The Kent State Board of Trustees appointed a 16-member search committee, chaired by Trustee Shawn Riley, and launched a national search for President Warren’s successor. To prepare for the search, the Board solicited input from virtually every constituency: faculty, staff, students, donors, alumni, elected officials, the Kent community and others. Input received from these groups indicated that Kent State needs a dynamic, experienced leader who could build on the institution’s vision and strategic direction, enhance academic excellence and research, strengthen organizational capacity and sustainability, and raise Kent State’s profile and prominence.
“After a rigorous national search, we have found that leader,” said Ralph Della Ratta, chair of the Kent State Board of Trustees. “Today, in a unanimous vote, the Kent State Board of Trustees has elected Todd Diacon, Ph.D., as Kent State’s 13th president.
“The Board is confident that Dr. Diacon’s substantial contributions to Kent State’s advancement over the past seven years demonstrate that he is the right person at the right time to continue our remarkable momentum and progress,” Chair Della Ratta continued.
President-elect Diacon has 30 years of higher education leadership experience. In his current position as executive vice president and provost of Kent State, he is the second highest-ranking position behind the president. He joined Kent State in April 2012 and is responsible for all academic functions of the university, leading the administration, faculty, and staff within more than 20 academic units, including colleges, schools, departments, and regional campuses of an eight-campus system that enrolls more than 38,000 students.
“Dr. Diacon knows Kent State well and has a deep understanding of the university’s strengths and potential,” Chair Della Ratta said. “We all agree that he has the leadership ability to accelerate our momentum in reaching our highest aspirations. Dr. Diacon is committed to advancing Kent State’s position as a top-tier public research university and our intense focus on strengthening student success, research and academic excellence.”
President-elect Diacon’s contributions and deep experience in these priorities have been evident during his time as Kent State’s provost. He has been instrumental in developing creative ways to boost the university’s international reach and reputation, including establishing our American Academy at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR), a major university in Brazil.
He has helped the university attract world-class, talented deans, faculty and academic leaders, including most recently Christina Bloebaum, Ph.D., dean of the College of Aeronautics and Engineering; Michael Lehman, Ph.D., inaugural director of the Brain Health Research Institute; and Neil Cooper, Ph.D., inaugural director of the School of Peace and Conflict Studies. Dr. Diacon’s commitment to the recruitment of diverse faculty significantly increased the number of faculty hires from underrepresented groups, and contributed to Kent State earning the distinction as the No. 1 university nationwide in Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers for Diversity 2019.
President-elect Diacon has contributed significantly to elevating Kent State’s academic excellence. During his time as provost, Kent State has enrolled five of its largest freshman classes, increased the number of undergraduate degrees awarded, raised the academic profile of the freshman class, improved graduation rates, and achieved record retention rates.
Before coming to Kent State, President-elect Diacon served as deputy chancellor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His duties included supervising the university’s strategic plan, leading special projects, co-directing university relations with state government, coordinating town-gown initiatives and directing the UMass Community College Connection to encourage community college students to enroll at UMass. In addition to his role of deputy chancellor at UMass, he was a professor of history.
Prior to UMass, President-elect Diacon worked at the University of Tennessee from 1989-2010, joining first as an assistant professor of history. During his career there, he held various positions, including director of the Latin American studies program, head of the history department, NCAA faculty athletics representative, professor of history with tenure, vice provost for academic operations and executive director for academic assessment and program support.
President-elect Diacon specializes in agrarian history and the history of central state power in Brazil. He has authored publications on student success and on the administration of higher education, and he has written several journal articles and two books. His book “Stringing Together a Nation” won the 2005 Warren Dean Prize for the most significant book on Brazilian history.
“The Board of Trustees would like to express our deep appreciation to the members of the Presidential Search Committee for their dedicated service,” Chair Della Ratta said. “The search process was very inclusive, and today we celebrate an outstanding outcome. We all owe a special debt of gratitude to Trustee Shawn Riley, who has given so generously of his time and counsel as chair of the Presidential Search Committee. We are especially grateful for his engagement with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and the Committee on Administrative Officers.”