This week we're taking a look back at an interview we did last March with tech author and entrepreneur, Andrew Keen.
I first became acquainted with the author, who's been called "The Antichrist of Silicon Valley", when I reviewed his book "Digital Vertigo" for USA Today a few years ago. Now, his latest book, "How to Fix the Future", explores how people all over the world are trying to come up with ways we can both survive and thrive in a future where livelihoods are threatened by automation, privacy is a relic of the past, social media has been subverted, and surveillance is omnipresent.
***Please note: This show is now available as a podcast on Apple and Android devices. To find out how, follow these links: Apple, or Android
A Canton mother and her two young children were injured when they were hit by a wrong-way, drunk driver on New Year's Eve.
According to reports, the crash happened along US 62 Eastbound between Market and Cleveland Avenue in Canton about 11:35 Monday night.
The other driver, who was heading westbound in the eastbound lanes, was taken to Aultman and then transfered to an Summa Akron City Hospital where he reportedly died Tuesday night.
He's been identified as Jose Lopez Chavez of Canton.
Massillon city officials say they're looking to cut costs at the former Affinity Medical Center, that's currently not staffed, but still being powered and secured daily.
The average cost to manage the closed property, according to the Canton Rep, is roughly $6,800 per day, including utilities, maintenance, and building security.
Earlier in December, City Council gave the green light on a new deal with Aultman, that is assuming emergency and more services for Massillon residents.
Starting early 2019, Massillon will begin winding down most operations at the former Affinity site.
Read more on the story from the Akron Beacon Journal.
Update: Wednesday afternoon, members of the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested Randy Fitzgerald on a traffic stop on Route 8 in Macedonia.
The task force was assisted by officers from Boston Heights, the Summit Count Sheriff's Office and the Macedonia Police Department.
Although several tips were submitted on this case, the arrest was not a result of a tip.
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The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is looking for Randy Fitzgerald, of Akron, who is this week's Fugitive of the Week.
U.S. Marshals and Akron Police are reporting that Fitzgerald is wanted for Weapons Under Disability in connection to an incident that left a small child shot in the stomach.
Back on May 20th, three children, ages 8,9 and 12, were left alone in a home on Marcy Street, when one of those children found one a gun, believed to belong to Fitzgerald, and shot another child in the stomach. The child lived. In the home, responding officers found another gun, drugs, and body armor. A warrant was issued for Fitzgerald who has been on the run since.
Anyone with information regarding Randy Fitzgerald, please contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED or Text keyword WANTED and tip to 847-411 (tip411). Tipsters can remain anonymous and reward money is available.
There are still a few days left in the year, but Akron Police have released homicide and gun-related incident statistics for 2018, with a slight dip in the former.
So far this year, there have been 37 homicides in Akron; that's five fewer than last year. That said, there have been more non-homicide shootings in the city. As of Thursday, Police in Akron say there were 417 reported shootings not resulting in a death; 30 less than the same period of time in 2017.
APD adds that throughout the year, 798 guns were recovered or seized in Akron, averaging out to about 2 per day.
See more on the report from the Akron Beacon Journal.
This week our 1590 WAKR Female Student Athlete of the Week is Andreana Gotto, a senior basketball player from Tallmadge
“Nick volunteers at his church and helps with youth basketball, Johnson explains. “He is a great worker and an even better leader.”
“On the court, Nick is a senior captain for us,” he continued. “He is the kind of kid that will run through a wall for you and never ask questions,” he said.
“Since I’m a senior captain, I’ve always led by example, but this year I try to lead with my voice,”Nick explained.
Hussing is a 3.8 student, a member of NHS, the Tallmadge High School Pep Club and the French Club.
We wish Andreana and Nick the best in all of their future endeavors.
December 21st marks a historic milestone here in Akron.
It's the both what would have been Firestone founder, Harvey Firestone's 150th birthday, and the 30th anniversary of the day when Bridgestone merged with Firestone--cementing the company's position as the world's largest tire and rubber company.
(City of Akron) Effective Wednesday, January 2, 2019, continuing through Monday, January 6, the City of Akron Sanitation/Curb Service Division will permit residents to place extra trash, in the form of wrapping paper and boxes alongside their trash carts, on their normal collection day.
"Each year we provide this extra service to our residents after the holidays, most of whom have additional items to discard or recycle,” Mayor Dan Horrigan said. "This particular pickup is intended for extra holiday items, like wrappings and boxes, which we realize won't all fit in one or maybe even two trash carts."
Following the holidays, the City will also collect residents' holiday trees left alongside trash carts on their normal collection day. As always, customers who wish to put out a larger volume of other household trash are asked to contact the Mayor’s Action Center at 3-1-1, (330) 375-2311 or www.akronohio.gov/311 to pre-schedule one of the three special bulk pickups allotted to each household, each year.
Please note, there will be no curb service on Tuesday, December 25 (in observance of Christmas Day) or Tuesday, January 1 (in observance of New Year’s Day). Curb service will resume Wednesday through Saturday, on a one-day delay.
This Week, social media in the spotlight, with another big Facebook data sharing scandal, new information on just how much the Russians are influencing Americans by using social media, and a local woman actually sentenced to jail for inducing panic, after posting false information on Facebook.
We'll also find out about efforts to to bring more software companies to Akron, a giant leap ahead in computing power, and how you can take a ride on a space ship, even if you're not an astronaut.