Joann closing stores

Joann, the crafting and fabrics retailer, plans to close more than half of its remaining stores after declaring chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year. The company field a motion earlier this week in bankruptcy court seeking to shutter 553 of its 800 locations. About 40 stores in Ohio are…

Akron man arrested from damaging vehicles

A 34 year old Akron man has been arrested after he reportedly damaged a number of vehicles in Akron earlier this week. Officers arrived around 10am Tuesday, located the suspect, and took him into custody. Police say there was damage to at least 5 cars in the South Main Street area. The suspect, Marquel Waiters,…

Arrest in boy’s fatal shooting

A main is in custody for the fatal shooting of 10 year old Kaden Coleman. Cleveland police say 34 year old Jeffrey Grant is now behind bars facing charges of aggravated murder and a parole violation. Detectives are still looking for a 2nd suspect and a $5,000 reward i being offered for information leading to…

Jim Tressel selected by DeWine as new Lt. Governor

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is nominating for Ohio State Buckeyes coach and Youngstown State University President Jim Tressel as the state’s next Lt. Governor. at a news conference Monday, DeWine called Tressel “a natural leader” who will ably succeed john Husted, whom DeWine tapped to fill the US Senate seat left open by JD Vance’s…

Highway workers find body in tarp

Highway workers in Carroll County found the body of a man wrapped in a tarp off the roadway Friday morning. The sheriff’s office reported to the scene around 10am. The victim is unidentified at this time and presumed to be a white male, according to the sheriff’s department. The body was taken to the Cuyahoga…

Back to the office

This morning, state employees are preparing to return the office after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order requiring them to do so. The order effects permanent employees at state agencies, boards of commissions with some exceptions, like for those whose office locations were eliminated. The employees have until March 17th to return to…

Ohio lawmakers pushing for new “Move Over” law

Ohio lawmakers are looking to improve Ohio’s “Move Over” law. The initial goal was to prevent violent and sometimes deadly collisions between motorists and emergency vehicles like police cruisers, ambulances, and tow trucks. Senate Bill 16 would require drivers to move over or slow down ANY TIME you see a car or a truck, any…

New Ohio bill to raise sales tax on pot

Ohio Senate Bill 56 is looking to increase the excise sales tax on recreational marijuana sales from 10% to 15%. The tax revenue from recreational sales is set for 4 different categories. One of the categories is the cannabis social equity and job initiatives. Senate Bill 56 would get rid of that fund. The bill…

150K reward for info on postal employee robbery

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction in the armed robbery of a postal worker at gunpoint around 4pm on Monday afternoon. It happened in the 900 block of Bisson Avenue. The suspect is described as a man between 16 and…

Tallmadge man sentenced

In Tallmadge, a man accused of arson and leading police on a 25 mile chase has been sentenced to at least 9 years in prison. Larry Beal Junior pleaded guilty to aggravated arson and felonious assault on law enforcement. Officials say Beal set his house on fire then led police on a chase before pointing…

Gas station hold-up

Akron police are investigating a robbery which occurred at the BP gas station in the 500 block of N. Main Street. It happened Sunday night around 8:45pm. According to the clerk, the suspect entered the store, pulled a handgun from his jacket, and demanded cash from the register. The suspect, dressed in all black clothing,…

ICE activity causes Akron elementary school to lockdown

An Akron elementary school was on lockdown yesterday afternoon after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were seen in the area. According to the Akron Education Association, Forest Hill CLC was on exterior lockdown after the ICE was seen patrolling nearby. During the lockdown, internal doors were secured while normal classroom instruction continued with minimal…

2 fatally shot in Stow

An investigation is underway in Stow after 2 people were found shot inside a home. Officers responded to the scene around 4pm yesterday in the 4100 block of Meadowlark Trail after receiving reports of a possible suicide. Ohio’s BCI will assist Stow police in the investigation. The identities of the victims have not been released.…

Akron call center to close

Spectrum’s parent company, Charter Communications, is laying off 259 workers at its Akron call center. This comes after the company decided to close the call center on South Main Street permanently. Most of the job cuts impact sales representatives, along with some managers and supervisors. The layoffs are expected by March 28.

Former Hudson doctor to be sentenced on rape charges

A former doctor, Mahmud Kara, of Hudson, is expected to be sentenced this week after being found guilty last year of rape and sexual battery charges by a Summit County jury. According to the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office, the charges stem from an incident that happened 2023, when Kara sexually assaulted a young woman at…