Akron Beacon Journal
Officials warn of risks from wildfire smoke, offer tips to reduce exposure
As the Greater Akron area experiences hazy smoke due to Canadian wildfires, the American Heart Association warns that the smoke exposure could post an increased risk for heart disease. Wildfire smoke contains pollutants, including microscopic...
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Child life specialist helps kids cope during divorces
By Summit County’s Domestic Relations Court Judge Katarina Cook’s estimation, her court could be the first civil court in Ohio to hire a child life specialist as part of its Children and Parents Empowered program, dubbed CAPE. h Child life specialists...
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Central-Hower to become business, creative hub
Less than a mile from where the historic Lincoln Building recently met its end, another structure awaits a second chance at life. h Kyle Craven and the Hower Property Group LTD are poised to buy CentralHower and transform the 237,000-square-foot,...
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Possible ties probed in 3 women’s slayings
Donna Pittinger’s sisters expected that one day they might get a call telling them she was dead. h For many years, she struggled with a crack cocaine addiction, made repeated trips to rehab and lost custody of her three children. h Cathy Doerman and...
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Estate sale hunters always on the lookout for bargains
Estate sales have been around since ancient times when they were held to settle property owners’ debts. Tag and estate sales are as popular as ever today, a favorite for collectors and others looking for bargains or quality items. They also have...
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The search continues
A fisherman saw a human hand floating just beneath the cloudy surface of the Ohio & Erie Canal in August 2005. He wondered if it was a mannequin and someone was playing a joke. The Akron Fire Department’s dive team, though, soon discovered it was all...
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Internet expansion creates ‘nightmare’
Many of us may not think much about the tangles of pipes and conduits carrying water, electricity and other modern necessities beneath the ground we live and play on. h But a recent boom in businesses bringing high-speed internet cables across the...
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Crashes in Hudson, Stow linked to pursuits
A police pursuit of an attempted murder suspect that began in Hudson on July 7 ended in a dramatic crash involving a flipped Summit Metro Parks police cruiser and a foot chase through a Stow neighborhood. Julius Edwards, 39, was wanted in connection...
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City moves to revoke bar’s liquor license
The city of Akron is formally lodging its objection to the Highland Tavern’s liquor license renewal, which is up for consideration in October. City officials say the bar has contributed to a pattern of violence in Highland Square in recent months....
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4 killed, including officer, in shooting in Rittman
RITTMAN — Four people, including a veteran Rittman police officer, were killed and other law enforcement officers were injured in a domestic-related shooting the night of July 5, authorities said. Law enforcement officers responded at about 9:30 p.m....
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Stow gets in the red, white and blue spirit
“Celebrate America! Celebrate Community” was the theme Saturday as around 90 entries glided down Kent Road for Stow’s Fourth of July parade. Temperatures stayed relatively comfortable before the heat index climbed into the high 90s later in the day....
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Has American flag’s symbolism shifted?
BREVARD COUNTY, FL — When Joy Howell bought a home in northern Virginia, she noticed several of her new neighbors adorned their residences with the American flag. “It concerned us that perhaps that was a political symbol and not necessarily a...
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DOJ defends withholding some Epstein documents
Justice Department officials in a new court filing released July 2 defended their limited release of investigative materials tied to the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The DOJ released 3.5 million pages of documents tied to Epstein,...
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Emerging class of scams employs AI
Aswanky white mansion compound in the heart of Agona Swedru, Ghana, stands in stark contrast to the dilapidated shanties just over its walls. h TikToks filmed inside the mansion show Abu Trica and his friends flaunting their immense wealth through...
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Kroger’s Giant Eagle purchase redraws grocery picture
The Kroger Co. acquisition of Giant Eagle in a billion-dollar deal paves the way for the return of the nation’s largest grocery chain to the Northeast Ohio market. h The Cincinnati-based supermarket goliath announced the purchase agreement, which adds...
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It’s full speed ahead for Quaker Station
When it comes to the renovation of Quaker Station, the train is about to leave the depot. On July 1, the Quaker Square Redevelopment Group fully took over operations at the Akron building off East Mill Street. The structure, part of the larger Quaker...
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Cosmic Baseball’s a big hit at Akron ballpark
In 2023, a few fans ran through Shepherd Stadium in Colonial Heights, Virginia, at a Coastal Plain League game with glow sticks. It was a packed house of 2,300 fans, but Chris Martin’s vision took flight that summer day. Fast forward to 2026 and neon...
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CrossFit competition helps to build more than muscle
CANTON – Jumping rope, deadlifting and flipping a 300-pound tire — that kind of intense workout is synonymous with CrossFit. It’s not for everybody. But in Ohio, that structure and sweat has given incarcerated youth a second chance. Often, young...
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A growing number of Akron-area young adults are ditching smartphones for less plugged-in lives
Brooke Williams made a drastic change in March when she replaced her iPhone with a flip phone that has no access to the internet. h The 22-yearold’s screen time plummeted to 20 minutes a day, from over nine hours. h The tipping point that led her to...
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Gas line blast rocks Twinsburg Township
A gas line explosion rocked Twinsburg Township on June 25, setting off a fire that destroyed three homes and damaged 23 others. The blast, which occurred around 4:40 p.m. Thursday, occurred an hour after the Twinsburg Fire Department and Summit County...
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Court hands immigration wins to Trump
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump a pair of immigration victories on one of its final decision days of the term by allowing him to turn back asylum-seekers at the southern border and to immediately halt temporary protection...
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Marathon goes extra mile for inclusivity
John Orenchuk stood on the outskirts of InfoCision Stadium with his direct support professional, Chad Palmer, debating what pose to strike once he crosses the finish line of the Akron Marathon one-mile race. h “Should we do the Rocky pose?” Palmer...
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Curious Creatures soon to leave Akron Zoo
Time is running out to visit a beloved Akron Zoo exhibit. h The zoo will be closing its Curious Creatures exhibit tucked inside of the Komodo Kingdom building on Aug. 3. h The area has been home over the years to a number of exhibits, including the...
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Life’s twists and turns led family to open new café
After establishing strong connections in and around Summit County, a local family with Filipino and Portuguese roots is inviting members of Firestone Park neighborhood to come by their new café – and stay awhile. h Stay Awhile Café, at 1762 Brown St....
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West Akron Parade honors Juneteenth
Corvette owners slowly rolled their sports cars down Copley Road in West Akron, followed by dancing cheerleaders. Representatives from Enviroscapes then threw candy out to children as they rode lawnmowers down the street. Big Mike’s Towing & Recovery...
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PLAYING IT THROUGH
Akron native Jamison Williams received a phone call from his paternal grandfather a few years ago, and five of the words he heard created a lasting impact. h “Don’t let my legacy die.” h It’s the message the 82-year-old Frank Williams delivered to his...
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Free retreat for those on cancer journey
Three women sat on a flight back from a restorative cancer retreat last year, freshly pampered and determined to bring the experience to Akron. For two days and two nights last April, Eileen Brown, Marisa Fatica and Kelly Inglett didn’t have to worry...
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10 years ago the Cavs made NBA history
The actual words can’t be written in this space, but “FAFO” definitely could describe what happened with the Cleveland Cavaliers before Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. (To keep things PG, we’ll say that stands for...
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Goodyear plans to tread once more on the moon
Goodyear has developed and tested tires for a number of uses and environments. But soon, its tires will carry humans to a place they’ve never been before. h The Akronbased company plans to have its tires on the moon in 2028 – which would be a first...
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Barberton sees mayoral shake-up
Less than 24 hours after Barberton Mayor William Judge abruptly resigned, City Council President Shorter Griffin was sworn in as the Magic City’s new mayor. h Judge was facing a public hearing that would have exposed allegations of wrongdoing against...
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Event addresses gun violence, role of dads
Anthony Butler dreams of his 1-year-old son, Armani, growing up in in a city without gun violence. h Butler knows how fast his son’s first year went — and worries about what dangers he could be exposed to as he grows older in Akron. h “I wish it would...
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Highland Tavern bar to close Fridays, Saturdays
The city of Akron has mounted pressure on the Highland Tavern, leveling accusations in the days after a shooting that left two injured in Highland Square. Now, the embattled tavern is temporarily closing on Fridays and Saturdays for the next few weeks,...
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ONE OFA KIND
Patience Kenimond admits that she wasn’t a good student in elementary and middle school. h Kenimond’s family was homeless, moving from one friend’s Akron home to the next. She changed schools so often that she didn’t see the point in trying. h Her...
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An offer of support in face of gun violence
Victims of gun violence and their families will no longer have to navigate their trauma alone, thanks to a new program from the city of Akron and area hospitals. The Partnership for Intervention, Violence Outreach and Transformation, or PIVOT, will...
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Bryson’s Sweeper Shop hits the off switch
After nearly 60 years of cleaning up, Bryson’s Sweeper Shop is cleaning out. h The showroom is nearly empty in the Fairlawn store at 85 Ghent Road across from Summit Mall. Most of the inventory has been sold. h Customers are stopping to pick up newly...
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Akron remains central to the legacy of AA
It all started as a simple meeting. A meeting of like-minded people in the Gate House on the grounds of the estate of one of the founders of Akron’s tire industry. The talk centered on the societal concerns of the time − sobriety. This simple meeting...
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Beacon reporter gets ‘blimpilicious’ ride
When I found out that my weekend assignment was to ride in a Goodyear blimp in honor of Akron’s firstever Blimp Day, to say I was excited would be an understatement. I’ve been a reporter at the Beacon Journal for nearly 28 years but had never gotten a...
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‘Absolutely not’
Future congressman Max Miller and Emily Moreno got married at Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club in August 2022, uniting two politically connected and wealthy Ohio families. The guest list featured a who’s who of America’s political elite, including...
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Property tax won’t be on November ballot
Ohioans who want to eliminate property taxes came up short in their effort to make the November ballot − but they aren’t going anywhere. The Committee to Abolish Ohio Property Taxes will target the November 2027 election for its proposed...
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Expansion will allow up-close look at giraffes
The countdown has begun. h The Akron Zoo officially broke ground Thursday, June 4, on what is being billed as its largest expansion ever. h The $21 million Lehner Family Foundation Giraffe Journey will cover some 9 acres by the zoo’s Pride of Africa...
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State high court OKs petitioning to restore gun rights
In a case closely watched by domestic violence groups, the Ohio Supreme Court on June 2 said a man with a criminal history of domestic violence can petition a state court to get his gun rights restored. Justice Pat DeWine authored the 6-1 majority...
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2 grocery stores set to open downtown
Looking to pick up lunch to go? Or buy some produce or other convenience items? Those living or working in downtown Akron soon will be able to get those things without having to leave the area. The Mercantile Akron and The Crafty Steere are coming to...
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Iran suspends talks over Israeli attacks on Lebanon
Iran halted indirect talks with the United States over Israel’s intensifying attacks on Lebanon, according to Iranian media reports, signaling a possible breakdown in diplomatic efforts to end the 3-month-old war. The Iranian semi-official Tasnim news...
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FADE AWAY
PISCATAWAY, NJ – From the robed procession to the conferring of degrees to the keynote speech meant to inspire students to reflect on their lives and contributions to society, graduation ceremonies are a grand and cherished tradition. But...
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RESTORING HOMES,
Husband-and-wife team Lana and Brendan Jeter have no patience for negligent landlords. “They’re our enemies,” Lana said. “We want them out of our area. We want them out of every area.” Brendan said these “turn-and-burn” landlords bought properties and...
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Artist finds spotlight with Buckets fixtures
The mantra of the LeBron James Family Foundation is “We are Family.” h So, it was only fitting that it turned to an Akron artist to create the lighting theme inside of the new Buckets Restaurant, which opened in April inside of House Three Thirty in...
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APS students give input for design of ‘The Bowl’
Adesign for Akron’s first Community Schoolyard that includes features students suggested was unveiled May 27 at Jennings Community Learning Center. h Akron Public Schools joined with Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit that works to connect the public...
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Firestone Country Club faces end of era
It’s going to be a little quieter on the greens of one of golf ’s iconic professional showplaces in 2027. h The PGA Tour announced May 26 that Firestone Country Club will no longer host the Senior Players Championship next year, after the current deal...
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Theater displays droids built by Stow man
Going to see “The Mandalorian and Grogu” at the Regal Cinema in Hudson? Or any movie there? You will see several life-sized Star Wars droids near the entrance. These droids — which include an astromech, a B-1 Series Battle Droid (”Roger Roger!”), a...
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Honoring Akron’s ‘everyday’ families
Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens is a monument to one of Akron’s most famous families. Its Manor House is frozen in time when Goodyear Tire co-founder F.A. Seiberling and his wife, Gertrude, and their family roamed the halls of the rambling estate back in...
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Police dogs leap at the chance to compete
Mattis, a K-9 officer for the Tallmadge Police Department, locked his eyes on the man in the padded suit as his handler, officer Nate Ickes, patted the suspect’s legs and pockets. The 8-year-old German shepherd kept his chin near the ground and eyes...
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Within school zone limits
Dozens of sex offenders live illegally near Summit County schools. But county authorities say Ohio’s sex offender laws limit their ability to force the offenders to move. The Akron Beacon Journal has identified 36 sex offenders who are living within...
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Age is just a number
They just wanna … they just wanna … h Girls just wanna have fun. h And you know what? So do women. h The Crones, an all-female band from Northeast Ohio, have a blast while playing cover songs from the 1980s. Ranging in age from 55 to 70, the group...
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Summit Metro Parks officers update look
Recent visitors to Summit County’s Metro Parks might notice that its safety personnel rangers look a little different lately in their all-black uniforms, and that they’re going by a new name. h Joshua Hamblen, chief of the 29-officer park police force,...
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Malik announces plan for housing
Improving Akron’s housing landscape has long been a priority of Mayor Shammas Malik and his administration, and he just announced new ways the city intends to tackle the issue. h This summer, he said, the city will launch a down payment assistance...
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‘THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT’
If you are driving over Memorial Day weekend, be prepared to pay almost $5 a gallon for gas. Gas prices are expected to increase once again as we head into the Memorial Day holiday weekend, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. “Drivers...
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MEMENTOS and MEMORIES
Longtime employees of the Spaghetti Warehouse in Akron have spent many a day and night with their colleagues. So much so that some of them have taken vacations together, fixed each other’s cars and told each other “I love you” when they left at...
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Ohio politicians forced to rethink data centers
MOUNT ORAB, Ohio – Residents of this rural Southwest Ohio village filled a cramped, gray room with their worries, frustrations and prayers. The topic at this February village council meeting: data centers. The room only held 33 people; dozens more...
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LOOKINGi BACK, f
University of Akron President R.J. Nemer cringes a bit when visitors say they are surprised by all the activities, programming and academic opportunities the campus offers. “I think they were expecting it to be less than it is,” said Nemer, a sports...
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2 aboard plane die as it strikes Akron home
Two people were killed May 14 when a small airplane crashed into a home in the Coventry Crossing development near Firestone Country Club, authorities have confirmed. The Akron Fire Department said two people who were aboard the plane died. It was not...
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‘Not just a dining experience’
LeBron James has invited you over to dinner. And you can forget any cloth napkins or highbrow fancy entrees in some huge mansion. This dinner is not with the NBA superstar. Instead, you are dining with young LeBron. That “Just a Kid from Akron” who...
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Dinosaurs, monkeys star in Akron Zoo’s summer
Summer may still be a month away. But it unofficially arrives May 16 at the Akron Zoo. After months of work and helping new critters settle in, the zoo has wrapped up renovations of its Legends of the Wild section. Some of the section’s residents...
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Girls flag football teams seeking state tourney
The sounds of fall could be heard echoing throughout the University of Akron football stadium May 11. The cheers, the passion and the game were all on display as the Cleveland Browns presented the 2026 Browns Girls High School Flag Football...
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MAKING IT SPARKLE
Aweek ago, Megan Piccione was in a suite at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. h The Ravenna native, 31, and her husband, Giancarlo, started the day with a slow breakfast. h “We had a very calm morning. We were not going to get crazy,” she chuckled. h...
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April brings new Akron restaurant openings
A quintuplet of restaurants opened in the Akron area in April. Restaurateurs ushered in an eclectic European bakery, a celebrity-themed fried chicken spot, a Nashvillethemed hot chicken restaurant, a Mediterranean shawarma eatery and the reopening of...
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LASTING LESSONS
When Pawan Handa’s aging mom needed help at her modest home in New Delhi, her family hired a woman to clean and do other chores. Handa, a retired Goodyear executive, said his mother — Sudershan Kumari Handa — accepted this help, but also made a point...
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She turns gym class struggles into a career
Julia Michalak is being mentored at Woodridge Elementary in Peninsula as she pursues her desire to become a PE teacher. Some students would say gym class is the highlight of the school day. For others, it is a time of dread and one to avoid if at all...
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Akron businesses avoid sting from high gas costs
Charly Murphy says he expects summertime fuel costs to nearly double from last year for the food truck enterprise he owns and operates with Alicia Kennedy. They have four Akron-based food trucks – Akron Pickle, Big Blue BBQ by Stray Dog, Snakron and...
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Judge McLaughlin holds off challenger
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Kelly McLaughlin decisively held off challenger L. Mialon Morris in a May 5 primary that spotlighted a rift in the local Democratic Party. Summit County Board of Elections’ unofficial final results show McLaughlin...
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Northside Marketplace facing financial woes
Vendors who have sold goods at the Northside Marketplace in Akron say the the market is holding onto money they are rightfully owed. Brent Wesley, who goes by “Wesley the Keeper” and co-owns Akron Honey with his wife, Rebecca Wesley, said he pulled...
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KENT STATE SHOOTINGS
Russ Miller, brother of Jeffrey Miller, who was among the four killed in the May 4, 1970, shootings, rings the Victory Bell at the Kent State May 4 Commemoration on May 4. Asomber crowd gathered under a cloudless sky on Monday, May 4, at the Kent...
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Akron neighbors build new bonds
Sue Lacy said she’s been a community organizer for decades, getting her start during the Reagan years. In her experience, Akron’s Civic Assembly has done something unique – created a bond between participants that extends beyond the assembly’s...
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Housing mogul under scrutiny
Frank Sinito, the son of a feared Mafia capo, tried to shed his father’s legacy of crime decades ago. h The younger Sinito graduated from college with an economics degree in 1989 and spent the following decades building a fortune, mostly through...
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Browns break ground on domed stadium
A bit of Cleveland sports history was made at 6:01 p.m. Thursday, April 30, when the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Browns stadium in Brook Park officially took place. Truth be told, work has already started to transform the former site of a...
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Luigi’s reluctantly joins credit card crowd
Luigi’s manager Jim Corl talks about accepting credit cards for the first time in the Akron restaurant’s 77-year history. Luigi’s Restaurant, which used to be one of the last holdouts in town, is finally accepting credit cards after operating as a...
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