This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro-5-4-18 Featured
Written by Jeanne Destro
This week: How University of Akron students are helping NASA to create a new helmet for astronauts, a huge mobile carrier merger, new tech to control diabetes, video game addiction, talking robots, and an app that can tell you just how high you really are.
An female Akron taxi driver was pepper sprayed by a female passenger early Monday morning, according to an APD report.
The driver, who works for Rides-4-Less, picked up two women along Noah Avenue, and after driving for about half a mile, one of them sprayed her in the face while the other reached over the seat and grabbed her purse. Both passengers then jumped out of the back and ran.
This is the second Rides-4-Less driver that's been robbed in the past few months; a driver back in October was hit with a stun-gun.
Cleveland, OH—The Cleveland Indians will resume tours of Progressive Field on Tuesday, May 1, with all proceeds benefiting Cleveland Indians Charities.
Tours will run through Saturday, Sept. 1 and will take place Monday-Saturday with the exceptions of holidays and day home games.
The tours will begin and end at the Team Shop and will be offered at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. On days when the team is on the road or is idle, a 1:30 p.m. tour will also be offered.
Fans can go behind the scenes to explore the most popular areas at the ballpark, including many typically not available to fans on game days.
Those areas include (subject to change):
- Lexus Home Plate Club
- Press Box
- Infiniti Club
- The Corner Bar
- Visitor’s Clubhouse (select days)
- Warning Track
- Home Dugout
- Batting Cages
- Terrace Club Feller Exhibit
Tours are available in several packages:
- Public: $12 for adults; $10 for children (14 and under) and senior citizens (60 and over)
- Group: Group tours are available for $400 and include 40 tickets.
o Additional tickets are available at $10 each.
- School: Cleveland Indians Charities presents a special tour program for schools for $7 per ticket.
Tour tickets can be purchased online at Indians.com/tours, in person at the Progressive Field Team Shop or ticket office or over the phone by calling 216.420.HITS.
Since Progressive Field opened in 1994, hundreds of thousands of patrons have toured Progressive Field and benefited Cleveland Indians Charities (CIC). CIC is the self-sustaining charitable arm of the Cleveland Indians that concentrates on creative partnerships with select organizations that focus on youth education and recreation. Since its inception in 1989, CIC has donated more than $10 million to youth-oriented agencies and organizations throughout Northeast Ohio.
Accused Ohio serial Killer Shawn Grate changed his plea to guilty to 15 charges, including rape, kidnapping, gross abuse of a corpse, and more.
Common Pleas Court Judge Ron Forsthoefel explained in court on Wednesday that this means Grate is waiving his right to take the stand in his own defense and is no facing a minimum sentence of 50 to 72 years to life in prison.
Meanwhile, the same Ashland County Common Pleas jury will be brought back in on the other murder charges Grate is facing.
Read more on the story from WKYC.com.
This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro-4-27-18 Featured
Written by Jeanne DestroThe City of Akron announced Wednesday the purchase of 10 new thermal imaging units for the Akron Fire Department.
In a press release, City of Akron Press Secretary Ellen Lander Nischt describes the new devices as "life-saving" equipment that will help the City's fire department "advance its mission to protect the lives, property, and environment of the Akron Community."
Akron Fire Chief Clarence Tucker is quoted in the press release saying, “Heat-detecting cameras will allow our first responders to locate a victim in an environment with very limited or no visibility. For a firefighter searching for a trapped victim, little is worse than losing your ability to see due to darkness or dense smoke. In a rescue operation where every second counts, these units can make the difference between life and death, by enabling us to find victims faster and increasing their chances of survival.”
Akron City Council unanimously voted to approve the purchase of the equipment at an estimated cost of $50,000 for the ten thermal imaging units.
The new thermal imaging units were purchased with funds from the passage of Issue 4 last November.
“Once again, we thank the Akron community for their support of Issue 4, which has made critical safety investments like this possible,” Mayor Dan Horrigan said. “In the months and years to come, will continue to invest these funds in ways that make all our neighborhoods safer and stronger.”
A babysitter for two underage boys called 911 frantically asking for police at a home on Alden Drive in Streetsboro, saying that a young boy had been injured.
Streetsboro Police responded to the home around 9:30 Monday night, and say an 11-year-old was taken to UH Ravenna Hospital with a gunshot wound to the back, and then later died. Shortly after responding, police arrested the victim's 13-year-old brother and charged him with aggravated murder, saying that the act was intentional.
The names of the victim and the suspect have been released, but the 1590 WAKR Newsroom is not revealing those names as they are both minors.
Investigators say the older brother stole a handgun from his grandfather's home, adding that "at one time" the handgun was locked away and "secured." The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and in a press conference later Monday morning, Lt. Patricia Wayne with Streetsboro Police said that more charges are pending.
Records indicate that police had been called to the home on Alden Drive multiple times in the past, including as recent at this past Thursday.
Below are the two press releases from the Streetsboro Police Department.
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First Release: At 934pm this evening, Streetsboro Police and Streetsboro Fire Departments responded to Alden Dr for a report of a juvenile that had sustained a gunshot wound. Paramedics began life saving efforts and transported the juvenile to UH Ravenna where the juvenile was pronounced dead. A second juvenile is being questioned by investigators at this time. We are not releasing names at this point due to the ages of those involved and pending notifications. The cause of the gunshot would is still under investigation and more information will be released at a later time.
More...
(Release Courtesy of the Greater Akron Chamber) The Greater Akron Chamber announced today that Steve Millard has been named President and CEO of the Chamber. He replaces Richard Norton who has served as Interim President since April 2017. Millard is expected to join the Chamber on or before June 4.
Currently Executive Vice President of the Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) and Executive Director of its Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE), Millard has been with GCP and its predecessor organization, the Greater Cleveland Growth Association, since 1997 and has served as COSE’s President and Executive Director since 1999.
In addition to his work leading GCP’s small business initiatives, he has had responsibility for its portfolio of member products and services, small business advocacy efforts, member services and a number of economic development initiatives.
According to Marc Merklin, board chair of the Greater Akron Chamber and chair of the Chamber’s search committee, “Steve is an experienced executive with excellent knowledge of how to serve members of our Chamber, foster economic development and advocate for the business community locally, in Columbus and in Washington. He brings a depth of knowledge of the region to our market and will be able to collaborate with the political leadership, our educational institutions and business leaders here in the Greater Akron Area to advance our interests in fostering a growing and thriving business community. After a national search, we are fortunate to have found someone in our backyard capable of taking on the Chamber leadership role as we enter into our next strategic plan."
“I appreciate the confidence the Greater Akron Chamber’s leadership has in me and am excited about the opportunities ahead for Greater Akron and the coalition of innovative leaders that is working on a variety of transformational opportunities for the region. I look forward to being a part of that team and bringing my experience and perspective to the discussion,” Millard said.
“My work with GCP has brought me into frequent contact with leaders and institutions across the region and I have seen Akron making a generational shift in civic and institutional leadership that is driving new opportunities. The chance to be a part of that work is one of the key reasons I think this is the right opportunity at the right time for me,” he added.
Serving Summit, Medina and Portage Counties, the Greater Akron Chamber is dedicated to ensuring the sustainable economic growth of the Greater Akron region and provides membership benefits with a focus on regional economic development. Chamber members include global manufacturers, universities, local businesses and non-profit organizations.
William Knight, 64, of Streetsboro was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted earlier this month in the shooting death of 24-year-old Keith Johnson of Akron.
The following is a press release from the Summit County Prosecutor's Office:
Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh announced today that Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Tammy O’Brien sentenced William Knight, 64, of Lady Catherine Street in Streetsboro, to life in prison for killing 24-year-old Keith Johnson.
Knight will be eligible for parole after serving 18 years of his sentence.
On April 10, 2018, a Summit County jury found Knight guilty of the following charges:
- Two Counts of Murder, each with a Gun Specification – both Special Felonies
- Two Counts of Felonious Assault, each with a Gun Specification – felonies of the 2nd degree
“Mr. Knight’s decision to fire his gun forever changed the lives of two families. Today, as Keith Johnson’s mother Laquita said, justice was served. I truly hope the Johnson family finds peace as they move forward,” said Prosecutor Walsh.
In the evening of March 20, 2017, William Knight shot and killed Keith Johnson. The shooting followed a dispute over a stolen dirt bike. Earlier that day, Knight’s son-in-law noticed his dirt bike, which had been stolen in February of 2016, was for sale on a social media site. Knight, his daughter and son-in-law went to Danmead Avenue in Akron to confront Keith Johnson and recover the dirt bike. When Johnson attempted to leave the area on the bike, the son-in law grabbed the dirt bike in an attempt to stop Johnson. Johnson was able to pull away from the son-in-law, but was subsequently shot in the head by Knight. The jury rejected arguments by William Knight’s attorney that Knight was acting in self-defense and defense of his family members.
This Week In Tech with Jeanne Destro-4-20-18 Featured
Written by Jeanne Destro
This week, we're talking Russian cyberattacks, smart power grids, GPS security, a new class action lawsuit against Facebook, and a music app that can help you get more information and enjoyment from your car radio.