Fairlawn Police have made an arrest in connection to the arson fire at the Cornus Hill Mansion back on January 13th. 

Sgt. Mark Schlegel with Fairlawn PD tells the 1590 WAKR Newsroom that 18-year-old Donavin Gowin of Barberton is under arrest and charged with Arson. He says that Gowin turned himself in to Akron Municipal Court on Thursday morning. 

Three other juveniles were with Gowin at the scene of the fire, but Sgt. Schlegel says they were not involved with the arson. They have been charged, but only with misdemeanor criminal mischief. Sgt. Schlegel says they do not believe that there was any intent or premeditation. 

The home was vacant at the time of the fire, and has been for the past several years. 

 

In the wake of what has been a hyperactive flu season, Summit County Public Health has rolled out the new Influenza Data Dashboard, to give the public access to the most up-to-date numbers in relation to the flu. 

According to the press relese from SCPH, the dashboard includes information on flu-related emergency room visits, positive influenza tests, hospitalizations and deaths. Wiith all of the reports in the news media about the severity of this flu season, SCPH Clinical Health Director Leanne Beavers says it's important to look at historical data when discussing and comparing the most current flu season. The flu dashboard from Summit County Public Health allows you to do that, with data as far back as the 2013-14 flu season. 

As for the current flu season, Beavers says that within the past two weeks, Summit County has seen a plateau followed by a decrease in the number of flu admissions at local hospitals, but warns that in all likelihood, and historically speaking, we'll see an influx of Influenza B cases toward the end of January and into February. She adds that the Ohio Department of Health is already reported cases, though very few, of Influenza B. 

Check all of the latest numbers from Summit County Public Health through the new Influenza Data Dashboard. 

In addition to the flu data, SCPH has the most recent mortality rates in the county and state, the up-to-date birth numbers, and also overdose numbers for the county. Click here for more.  

 

This week, our 1590 WAKR Male Student Athlete of the Week is Matt Waskey, a junior bowler from East CLC.

Matt says it was family that got him into the sport of bowling and gave him the foundation to enjoy the sport in high school.

“My father got me into it at a young age,” Waskey said. “I started bowling at the elementary school level and it was a fun program to get into.”

A captain on the bowling team,Matt says he enjoys working with his coaches and teammates day in and day out, saying the team is like a family.

Waskey is a member of the 3.0 club and a student ambassador at East. In addition to his love of bowling, Matt also enjoys music and is a member of both the Jazz Band and Concert Band.

Matt plays the saxophone, and plans on studying music at either the University of Akron, Kent State University or The Ohio State University upon graduation in 2019.

We here at 1590 WAKR wish Matt the very best in all of his future endeavors.

Since the first college class schedule at the first college, students have (probably) done everything they can to eliminate Friday classes. 

Well, starting in the Fall semester of 2018, University of Akron is taking it upon themselves to remove Friday classes for almost all students.

According to a press release, the new initiative at UA, is not meant to give students a three-day-weekend, but to open the door to more opportunities for lab work, practical work experience, volunteering, and more on Fridays. 

UA President Matthew Wilson says, “Quality learning and student success are the primary focuses of Five-Star Fridays,” said UA President Wilson. “Courses will be taught for the same amount of classroom time and involve the same academic rigor. They will just be organized a bit differently to allow for a more concentrated and purposeful set of experiential learning opportunities for students as a result of making Fridays available in this manner. The innovative approach is consistent with workplace flexibility trends.”

You can read the full press release from UA below: 

University of Akron (UA) President Matthew J. Wilson today announced UA will move towards implementing an innovative class schedule this fall to better prepare and serve students. The schedule is unique to universities in the area, as it will enable most students to focus on classes Monday through Thursday and then participate in practical, career-focused experiences on Friday. In conjunction with this initiative, UA will look to continue enhancing its weekend, online, and evening scheduling as well.

The new initiative – composed of a “Five-Star Friday” and “Four-Day Core” scheduling – is intended to give as many students as possible opportunities each Friday to participate in cooperative education, gain practical work experience, and engage in internships, co-curricular activities, research, lab work, community service, advising, tutoring and more without worrying about scheduling conflicts.

Students also will be encouraged to use Five-Star Fridays to attend special events, collaborate with faculty and peers, and take advantage of expanded academic counseling, tutoring, career fairs and other career services. As a result, students also can have three days of concentrated time to prepare for classes, engage with study groups, and participate in meaningful study and research.

“Quality learning and student success are the primary focuses of Five-Star Fridays,” said UA President Wilson. “Courses will be taught for the same amount of classroom time and involve the same academic rigor. They will just be organized a bit differently to allow for a more concentrated and purposeful set of experiential learning opportunities for students as a result of making Fridays available in this manner. The innovative approach is consistent with workplace flexibility trends. ”

After an in-depth review by the colleges and the Registrar’s Office, it was determined that classes that had been scheduled for three days per week (typically Monday, Wednesday and Friday) could either be offered on two days during the week – by extending the typical 50-minute class to 75 minutes – or alternatively, by moving to a Monday, Wednesday and Thursday schedule, as an example. For many years, many other courses at UA have been scheduled for two days per week (typically Tuesday and Thursday), and those will be able to continue in that manner.

For pedagogical reasons, some courses, (for example, music, dance and art) need daily engagement with students and those can continue in that way. Deans, department chairs and school directors are working with faculty members to make those types of accommodations.

“Five-Star Fridays is an innovation in undergraduate education, featuring real-world experience and career preparation that enhance the value of traditional course work,” said Buchtel College of Arts & Sciences Dean John C. Green. “It will give our students flexibility to complete and enhance their degrees. Our chairs and directors carefully reviewed all of our course offerings and they found that nearly all classroom instruction can be implemented on a Monday – Thursday schedule while maintaining academic quality. In the few cases where a revised schedule would be problematic, we will either maintain the current schedule or make additional arrangements."

Since last fall, the Five-Star Fridays concept has been talked about at college and administrative unit town hall meetings on campus, at UA’s Faculty Senate and with University Council. It has been discussed among University leadership and within colleges and departments. A survey was conducted of approximately 15,000 students, with nearly 5,000 responses recorded, and conversations have been held with dozens of high school counselors and numerous high school principals.

“We’ve received a lot of favorable feedback about the Five-Star Fridays concept,” said Wilson. “The new scheduling will assist students with their organization and class preparation, facilitate greater preparation for entering the workforce, make possible more flexible learning opportunities, and be yet another of UA’s distinguishing features for prospective and current students.”

Wilson continued, “Among many benefits, Five-Star Fridays will reduce the number of missed classes for student athletes, our elite engineering design teams, academic competition teams and other students who need to travel. It will make scheduling job and internship interviews easier for all students. UA will join departments at a number of major universities in the Washington, D.C. area, for example, that do not schedule Friday classes so that students can intern with government agencies for the entire day. When students use Five-Star Fridays wisely, it will certainly enhance their experience and increase the value of their degree.”

“After surveying thousands of students, the consensus is clear – students support the Five-Star Fridays academic week,” said Taylor Bennington, president of UA’s Undergraduate Student Government. “The idea is innovative, creative, and is just another way UA is setting itself apart in Northeast Ohio.”

The Five-Star Fridays schedule begins with the Fall 2018 semester.