The City of Akron says they've finished their road repaving project that was funded by the passage of Issue 1, the quarter-percent income tax increase, voted in by Akron voters back in November of last year.

More than 41 miles of city streets have been repaved over the course of the past year, the majority of which was done on residential streets, according to the city.

See the full press release below: 

(CIty of Akron) The City of Akron has completed the 2018 repaving schedule as projected and on budget. A dedicated stream of funding, which came from the quarter percent income tax increase that was passed by voters in November of 2017, was allotted specifically for roads. As projected, the increased funding allowed the City to repave an additional 37.5 miles of roadway, on top of the 17 miles previously designated in the City budget.

Of the completed work, 41.5 were residential streets and 13 miles were arterial/collector streets. The 2018 repaving work was split approximately evenly among Akron’s 10 wards, and was planned based on both the 2015 State of the Streets study and an annual street survey that determines the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) of Akron’s roads.

While the City is pleased with the first year of completed work, there is still much to be done. Mayor Horrigan states, “This is the first year of many that it will take to truly restore Akron’s streets. Years of disinvestment, due to lack of proper revenue, cannot be righted in a single year. But I truly hope Akronites can see a difference in the caliber of the roads so far, and it will only become more apparent as we continue this pace with each repaving season.”

In addition to the streets that were scheduled for repaving in 2018, several streets were improved in conjunction with other projects, such as Aqueduct Street as part of the Green Improvements project, Main Street for the ODOT Main Broadway Interchange project and Cedar and Exchange Streets for the Cedar/Exchange Street safety enhancement project.

The ¼% income tax increase took effect January 1, 2018, and raised approximately $13 million in 2018. These additional funds helped to replace lost revenue from the State of Ohio, and allowed the City to begin making long-awaited and much-needed improvements to the City’s public safety and roadway infrastructure. As promised, Mayor Horrigan will continue to divide these new funds roughly equally between police, fire/EMS, and streets each year.

This week our 1590 WAKR Male Student Athlete of the Week is Zach Miller, a senior hockey player from CVCA.

Hockey’s been a big part of his life from his early years when his parents had him taking skating lessons.

“Ever since I was seven years old, I started playing hockey and have played it ever since,” Zach said.

He says being around the guys is one of the best aspects of being on the team.

“Being around the guys is so much fun, because of the atmosphere that’s provided,” Miller said.

  His coach Doug Fairchild says that Zach is a true leader both on and off the ice.

“Zach is an outstanding student, one of the top students in our engineering program at CVCA,” Fairchild explains.

“Zach was a unanimous selection as a team captain this season due to his hard work and dedication. He is an excellent example for our younger players to follow.”

When he’s not playing hockey, Zach’s a part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the National Honor Society. He’s also done some volunteer work for the Akron–Canton Regional Foodbank.

Upon graduation in the spring, Zach plans to major in Areospace Engineering.

Our next Student Athlete is Lauren Davis, a senior basketball player from CVCA.

She says working with her coaches and teammates is something she truly enjoys whenever she steps on the basketball court.

“We all just care about each other so much and it makes for a good atmosphere during games and practices,” she explained.

She is a two year captain, and a three-year varsity letter winner for the Royals.

Her coach Andy O’Keefe says that leadership translates to all facets of Lauren’s life.

“She exemplifies what it means to be a servant leader. Lauren's toughness, skillset, and determination make her a force to be reckoned with on the basketball court,” O’Keefe.

“At the same time, her selfless and humble character makes everyone on the team better.”

Upon graduation in the spring, Lauren plans to attend Kent State University to study nursing.

We wish Zach and Lauren the best in all of their future endeavors.

On Wednesday, the Akron Public School District announced its new partnership with Summa Health as part of the College And Career Academies of Akron at Buchtel CLC. 

As part of the agreement, the Summa Health Academy of Leadership and Innovation will offer real-world learning opportunities and instruction for students who are interested in the health care industry. 

For more on the College and Career Academies of Akron visit the Akron Public Schools Website. 

On Monday, Summit County Sheriff's deputies and detectives responded to the Bridges Learning Center on Johnathan Avenue on a report of a student with a gun on campus.

After a brief investigation, Detectives found a semi-automatic pistol stashed in the back of a school transport van. While the gun never made it into the school, a 12-year-old student was arrested and charged with Carrying a Concealed Weapon and Theft of a Firearm, as it was determined that he stole the gun from an Akron home.

That students was booked in Summit County Juvenile Detention Center.

Meanwhile, the Sheriff's Office is reporting that a body was found near the Bridges Learning Center campus that same day, Monday, December 3rd. Shortly after the discovery of the body, detectives determined that the person had taken their own life two days prior and that the two incidents at Bridges Learning Center were unrelated. 

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(SUMMIT CO. SHERIFF'S OFFICE) On December 3, 2018, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office responded to Bridges Learning Center in regards to a gun that has been brought to school by a student. Sheriff's detectives responded and found a loaded semi-automatic pistol hidden in the back of a school transport van. It was determined that the gun was never brought onto to the grounds of the school. Detectives learned that the gun was stolen the day before from an Akron residence. A 12 year old student was arrested for Carrying a Concealed Weapon and Theft of a Firearm. He was transported to the Summit County Juvenile Detention Center.