A 29-year-old Akron man was sentenced to seven years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to multiple charges for dragging an officer hanging from his SUV for two blocks while fleeing from police.

Demardre L. Johnson, of Ninth Avenue, pleaded guilty in Summit County Common Pleas Court to felonious assault, resisting arrest, failure to comply, obstructing justice and driving under suspension.

Judge Scot Stevenson sentenced Johnson to seven years in prison on these charges and another three years for violating his probation. These two terms will be served concurrently, giving Johnson a total of seven years behind bars.

Johnson apologized for his actions before he was sentenced.

When Akron police officers pulled Johnson over Feb. 20 and asked for his driver’s license, Johnson said he didn’t have one. Officers asked him to step out of his SUV, and he refused. An officer opened the driver’s door and told Johnson to get out, and he again refused.

Police said Johnson shifted into drive. An officer grabbed Johnson’s arm and Johnson accelerated with the officer hanging on through the open vehicle door. The officer ordered Johnson to stop. Instead, Johnson swerved the vehicle, trying to dislodge the officer.

After two blocks, the officer let go, and Johnson drove away. Officers found Johnson’s vehicle crashed in the backyard of a nearby house, and Johnson in the backyard of another house.

The officer who was dragged, an eight-year veteran of the department, was treated at Cleveland Clinic Akron General.

A gun buyback program planned for Friday and Saturday at the Word Church in Akron has been postponed, mostly because of a lack of funding, organizers said.

The group of elected officials, law enforcement representatives and others behind the Piece for Peace event is still trying to raise at least $50,000 for the event. The original goal was $70,000.

“It’s just so unfortunate. People are dying around here,” said Akron City Councilwoman Tara Mosley Samples. “It’s concerning that people don’t think getting guns off the street is a major issue. People don’t see it as an issue until it affects them, but it is an issue, because it’s affecting this entire community.”

She said the event will probably be held at the church at 1700 Brittain Road in October.

“We have to hit that $50,000 mark before we’re comfortable with saying we’re moving forward at a specific date,” Mosley said.

The Piece for Peace program will pay $50 gift cards for rifles and shotguns and $100 gift cards for handguns and assault weapons.

The last time a similar program was held was in 2008, and there was also an issue with raising money. The program only had enough money to buy gift cards for the first 650 guns turned in. The year before in 2007, there were 950 guns turned in before the organizers ran out of cards.

“We would hate for people to come with guns and we run out of money,” Mosley Samples said. “We’re not at $30,000 yet.”

State Rep. Greta Johnson, D-Akron, said another reason for the delay is the need to create education and peace initiatives.

“We’re still meeting as a group, reaching out to community partners like the health department and faith based and community leaders and different law enforcement agencies on the overwhelming gun violence problem,” Johnson said. “We’re just trying to put things together so it’s not just a one-day event.

“We’re just trying to impact the community on a broader level. We want the educational pieces to lead up to the buyback.”

Johnson said it’s a bigger undertaking than any of the organizers anticipated and they just want to make sure it’s done right.

Akron and Barberton police and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office are also working with the group.

For questions, email: piece4peace2016@gmail.com or call 330-861-4451.

For donations, checks may be sent to: Summit County Crimestoppers, c/o Treasurer/Chief Michael Mier, 1280 Sunset Drive, Copley Twp., OH 44321.

Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.

Beacon Journal business writer

Tom Ganley, who built what grew into a 36-dealership car business based in Northeast Ohio, ran for U.S. Senate and Congress and took on Cleveland organized crime, died Wednesday at the Cleveland Clinic. He was 73.

Mr. Ganley got his start selling cars while still a high school student in Bedford. He bought his first dealership, Eastway Rambler, in Euclid in 1968 and within a year it became the nation’s largest American Motors dealership. The business that eventually grew into privately owned Ganley Automotive Group now comprises 36 dealerships and about 1,600 employees in Ohio and Florida. It is considered the largest auto group in Ohio.

“It’s tough,” said Lou Vitantonio, head of the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association. He said he has known Mr. Ganley and other Ganley family members for 20 years. “I had a very special relationship with him and the entire Ganley family.”

Mr. Ganley was a generous person who helped a lot of people behind the scenes, Vitantonio said.

“He never asked for recognition,” he said. The public likely will never know a quarter of what Mr. Ganley did to help people, he said.

Mr. Ganley was involved in the automobile industry on national, state and local levels, Vitantonio said. He helped the Cleveland association and its dealer members on health plan issues, union negotiations, the annual auto show at the I-X Center and more, Vitantonio said.

When it came to car sales, Mr. Ganley was a fierce competitor with other dealers but always a partner with them on industry issues, he said.

“He was a large figure in the auto retail industry in this part of the world,” said Terry Metcalf, executive vice president of the Northeast Ohio Auto Dealers Association. “He was a big player.”

Mr. Ganley received the Louis E. Peters Memorial Service Award by the Society of Former [FBI] Special Agents in 2007 for his role in fighting Cleveland organized crime that led to the arrest of more than 20 people.

The award came after Cleveland organized crime figures tried to extort $500,000 from Mr. Ganley in the 1980s. He refused to pay and instead cooperated with the FBI, including agreeing to have his phone tapped and cameras and recording equipment put in his offices. He also wore a wire while meeting with the extortionists. The mob issued death threats and put a $1 million contract on Mr. Ganley and his family, leading to Mr. Ganley receiving an armored car and FBI agents moving into his home.

Mr. Ganley’s son Ken, now president of Ganley Automotive, recalled that he was in elementary school at the time.

“For a couple of years, FBI agents lived in our house,” he said. His father told the family that having the FBI there was the right thing to do.

Some of the FBI agents became his father’s closest friends, he said.

Ken Ganley said his father was the definition of entrepreneur. “Most of his risks would work out,” he said.

One of his father’s favorite professional activities was being a director of Independence Bank, a small bank in Independence, he said. “He adored that role.”

His father was a great motivator of other people, he said.

His father was also known for providing help to people who needed it, particularly police officers, including transporting family members in crisis using his own personal plane, he said.

Among his father’s favorite activities was attending the sporting events of grandchildren, Ken Ganley said.

“He was not a golfer. It was the business and family,” he said. “Those were really his two passions.”

Mr. Ganley, who had never held elected office, announced in 2009 that he would run for U.S. Senate as a Republican, seeking the seat vacated by George Voinovich. In February 2010, he instead changed directions and ran for the House of Representatives for the 13th District seat, eventually losing to incumbent Betty Sutton.

Mr. Ganley, who was involved in business-related lawsuits over his career, was hit with a civil suit filed a month before the House election that accused him of propositioning and inappropriately touching a woman. Mr. Ganley was indicted in 2011 on charges of kidnapping and sexual assault, but the prosecutor dropped all charges following an investigation and interviews with the complainant, a married Cleveland woman. The related civil suit case was eventually settled. Mr. Ganley adamantly denied any wrongdoing.

Mr. Ganley was a strong supporter of police and public safety. He was a spokesman for “Buckle-Up Cleveland” and was named “Man of the Year” by the Cuyahoga County Police Chiefs Association. He ran Crime Stoppers of Northern Ohio.

He was also involved in the National Automobile Dealers Association, including representing Ohio within the organization.

He is survived by his wife, their son Ken and three other children, and grandchildren.

Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him @JimMackinnonABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/JimMackinnonABJ

The Ohio Department of Transportation has released traffic cam video showing the moments after a van was shot on Interstate 77 near the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this week, Beacon Journal news partner newsnet5.com reports.

The video shows a vehicle driving next to the van on the passenger’s side early Wednesday morning. Then it shows the van stopping in the middle of the highway. The vehicle next to the van is seen driving off an exit ramp.

Ohio State Highway Patrol officials say they believe the 24-year-old woman driver in the van was targeted. The woman, from Louisville, had non-life threatening injuries.

It’s unclear whether the vehicle that drove off the exit ramp is the one involved in the shooting, newsnet5.com reported.

The woman got out of the van and went to a nearby home for help.

Read the full newsnet5.com story here.

Get on the free purple bus in downtown Akron late this morning, get a free cookie.

Riders of the DASH circulator starting at 11 a.m. will get a free Sweet Mary’s bus-shaped cookie as they board.

The cookies will be given out while supplies last, Metro RTA said.

The goal is to encourage lunchtime riders. The new, free DASH bus shuttle takes over the University of Akron’s Roo Express west loop. The shuttle is for university students and the general public.

DASH sponsors include the city of Akron, Downtown Akron Partnership and GPD Group.

An Akron bicyclist who was found unresponsive after a crash Thursday morning has died.

Mark Whitmire, 57, was pronounced dead at 3:40 p.m. Friday at Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center, the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office reported.

Police continue to investigate whether the incident was a vehicular hit-and-run or if Whitmire lost control of his bike.

He was found at a fork in the road on Clearview Avenue, west of Manchester Road.

Whitmire was en route to work in information technology at Akron’s Department of Public Safety.

Anyone with information is asked to call Akron’s traffic bureau at 330-375-2506.

Step 1: Put unwanted pills into pouch.

Step 2: Add tap water to pouch.

Step 3: Seal pouch and throw away.

This is the simple process that soon will be available to Summit County residents through a pilot program.

The effort, which will be launched Wednesday on International Overdose Awareness Day, is aimed at making it easier and safer to get rid of unwanted medications, particularly opioids that research has shown can be a gateway to heroin use. Summit County is grappling with a huge spike in overdose deaths from heroin and other opioids.

“We look at it as a pipeline,” said Darryl Brake, executive director of Summit County Community Partnership, an agency that aims to fight drug abuse that is spearheading the pouch program.

Brake learned about the pouches that dissolve prescription drugs and make them safe to dispose of in landfills at a conference he attended in February. He got samples of the bags at the conference and talked to Mallinckrodt, a worldwide pharmaceutical company, which agreed to donate 40,000 pouches to Summit County.

Acme has agreed to provide the bags to pharmacy customers at its 16 locations. The bags will be available beginning Wednesday.

“We were looking for a way to be part of the solution,” said Katie Swartz, an Acme spokeswoman. “We live here. We read the headlines. As a community grocery store, we felt the need.”

Those involved in the program hope the bags may prove to be a simpler and safer method for getting opioids out of circulation than the prescription disposal sites that have been broken into different locations.

If the effort is successful in Summit County, it may be expanded to the rest of the state, Brake said.

“There’s an interest,” he said. “Everybody is looking to see how we do.”

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is still reviewing ways to improve safety along a dangerous, five-mile stretch of state Route 18 in eastern Medina County.

The state agency said Friday that it plans to resurface the roadway and install more than 1,300 raised pavement markings, in addition to adding permanent stripes, and rumble strips along the edge of the road and in the center turn lane.

“Safety and economic development are top priorities for ODOT,” District 3
Deputy Director Howard Huebner said in a statement Friday after a meeting with property owners.

The state agency has been trying to figure out how to improve safety on the road between Windfall Road and Medina Line Road, where there have been about 480 accidents and nine fatalities since 2008. The four-lane road, which also has a center turning lane, divides Sharon and Granger townships.

ODOT had proposed installing a guardrail down the center of the road that would prevent left-hand turns away from intersections. But many businesses and property owners argued against that so the state put the brakes on the idea.

Since then, the state installed four speed signs that alert motorists to how fast they are going. The speed limit in the area is 55 mph, but most people go well above that.

“There is still time in our project schedule to implement these countermeasures and see if a median guardrail is needed,” Huebner said.

The stretch of Route 18 includes a mix of commercial, industrial and residential property.

There has been tremendous growth along the road since ODOT widened and flattened the roadway during a multiyear project that started in 2005.

The resurfacing — technically a microsurfacing when a thin layer of the road is replaced — is expected to begin Sept. 19, with some pavement repairs starting next week. Most of the work is expected to take place in October.

ODOT also is doing additional engineering studies. The state said it will host a public meeting to discuss the findings. No timetable has been set for the meeting.

A New Franklin man pleaded guilty Friday to a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter for an assault in the parking lot of a Norton nightclub that left a Norton man dead.

Robert P. Lantz Jr., 37, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony. He was originally charged with murder. Under a plea agreement, prosecutors also dropped a felonious assault charge.

Lantz, who was scheduled to go on trial Monday in Summit County Common Pleas Court, will be sentenced at 1 p.m. Oct. 4 by Judge Scot Stevenson. He faces three to 11 years in prison.

Stevenson allowed Lantz to remain free on a $500,000, 10 percent bond. He is restricted to his home on a GPS monitor.

Stevenson ordered a pre-sentence investigation of Lantz and a victim impact statement to be completed before the sentencing.

Lantz is represented by Cleveland attorneys Stuart Lippe and Mary Jo Hanson.

Norton police say Lantz and Daniel Carraway, 63, of Norton, had an argument on the evening of Nov. 19 at Desiree’s, 4951 Wooster Road W.

Lantz was asked to leave but later returned and spoke with Carraway.

Carraway was assaulted after the two left out of the back of the bar.

Police found him lying unresponsive on the ground next to his vehicle about 10:15 p.m. He was taken to Summa Akron City Hospital where he later died.

Desiree’s was last in the news in March 2011, when five dancers were charged with prostitution or unlawful sexual activity after an undercover investigation.

Seven dancers were arrested on similar charges, and a patron was charged with trafficking marijuana when the nightclub was raided in 2008.

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith.

MEDINA

Haines, Ethel Florence, 91, of Brunswick. Died Friday. Carlson.

PORTAGE

Sicuro, Josephine A. (Giglio), 97, of Ravenna. Died Thursday. Wood-Kortright-Borkoski.

STARK

Slabaugh, Emma Mae (Reardon) Warstler Kerby, 85, of Massillon. Died Tuesday. Atkinson Feucht Hare.

Wiles, Mary, 88, of Alliance. Died Thursday. Cassaday-Turkle-Christian.

OTHER

Kauffman, Vernon L., 84, of Chagrin Falls. Died Monday. Bissler & Sons, Kent.

Marhefka, Carrie A., 35, of Fairview Park. Died Thursday. Waite & Son, Medina.

Sampson, Carol E., 94, of Sebring. Died Thursday. Cassaday-Turkle-Christian, Alliance.

Looking for a taste of an Ohio-made, high-alcohol beer?

There will be several available soon. Here are some of your options:

• Royal Docks Brewing Co. in Jackson Township has the 13.1 percent Vlad the Impaler, an imperial stout, available on draft now.

• Hoppin’ Frog Brewery in Akron will release its 13.8 percent T.O.R.I.S. the Tyrant, a triple oatmeal imperial stout, on draft and in 22-ounce bottles Wednesday.

• Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. in Akron plans to have a yet-to-be-named Belgian golden strong, which is 15 percent and will be sold in 750-milliliter bottles, available soon.

The brewery also will have a bourbon barrel-aged English barley wine, clocking in at 18 percent, available in the winter.

• Listermann Brewing Co. in Cincinnati is working on Huge Beer 37 — the name is a nod to House Bill 37. The beer is now aging in brandy barrels and the brewery isn’t sure how high the alcohol by volume will be.

• Zaftig Brewing Co. in Columbus will release Ol’ Harvey, a 16 percent Russian imperial stout on Sept. 4. The brewery has plans for other higher alcohol beers.

• Willoughby Brewing Co. in Willoughby produced Legislation Ale the last time that Ohio changed the legal limit from 6 percent to 12 percent. Willoughby plans to brew it again and release it over the winter.

Jackie O’s Brewery in Athens and Actual Brewing Co. in Columbus also are working on high-alcohol beers.

Actual founder Fred Lee said he’s challenged four of his brewers to work on recipes. He’s also putting out a challenge to other Ohio brewers to see how high they can go.

“I want to see the highest that Ohio brewers can really do,” he said.

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his beer blog at www.ohio.com/beer. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.

AKRON

Injured bicyclist dies

AKRON: An Akron bicyclist who was found unresponsive after a crash Thursday morning has died.

Mark Whitmire, 57, was pronounced dead at 3:40 p.m. Friday at Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center, the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office reported.

Police continue to investigate whether the incident was a vehicular hit-and-run or if Whitmire lost control of his bike.

He was found at a fork in the road on Clearview Avenue, west of Manchester Road.

Whitmire was en route to work in information technology at Akron’s Department of Public Safety.

Anyone with information is asked to call Akron’s traffic bureau at 330-375-2506.

CANTON

Video shows I-77 shooting

CANTON: The Ohio Department of Transportation has released traffic cam video showing the moments after a van was shot on Interstate 77 near the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this week, Beacon Journal news partner newsnet5.com reports.

The video shows a vehicle driving next to the van on the passenger’s side early Wednesday morning. Then it shows the van stopping in the middle of the highway.

The vehicle next to the van is seen driving off an exit ramp.

Ohio State Highway Patrol officials say they believe the 24-year-old woman driver in the van was targeted. The woman, from Louisville, had non-life threatening injuries.

It’s unclear whether the vehicle that drove off the exit ramp is the one involved in the shooting, newsnet5.com reported.

The woman got out of the van and went to a nearby home for help.

NORTHFIELD

Cyclists aim for record

NORTHFIELD: Ride for the Record will attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for most motorcycles starting at the same time Sunday in the parking lot of the Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park.

The event, presented by Quaker Steak & Lube, is part of a daylong fundraising event for North Coast Community Homes.

More than 5,000 motorcycles are expected.

The current record is 1,446 motorcycles set in 2014 in the Philippines.

The event begins at 11 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. with the attempt at 2:30 p.m.

The activities include live performances by the Spazmatics, stunt riders and motorcycle displays, beer and food vendors, raffles, prizes and giveaways.

Tickets are $25 and are available through www.Ride4Record.org. Walk-ins and non-riders are welcome as are donations from those not able to attend.

All proceeds benefit North Coast Community Homes, which has developed more than 200 customized homes throughout Northeast Ohio cities for 1,000 men and women who have developmental disabilities, severe mental illness and other disabilities.

TALLMADGE

Marijuana is meeting topic

TALLMADGE: City Council members discussed Thursday enacting a six-month moratorium on zoning certificates for any building that would enable the cultivation, processing, or retail sale of medical marijuana in the city.

Ohio’s medical marijuana law goes into effect Sept. 8.

Tallmadge Law Director Megan Raber said the law “creates a statutory medical marijuana definition in the Ohio revised code.

This creates a situation in which the municipalities will have to deal with how we’re going to handle that situation.”

As explained by Raber, the moratorium would give Tallmadge time to “digest a very volumous bill that has multiple implications” and “address the issue the way the city feels it should be addressed.”

Council will hold a public hearing regarding the moratorium at 7 p.m. Sept. 22.

It was early last year when I first spotted an increase in the number of young men’s and women’s photos appearing in death notices. On occasion, the obituaries mentioned that a son or daughter had lost a battle with addiction.

I know now that it was a way for families, even in their grief, to help others and reduce the stigma often associated with drug dependency. But at the time, I was eager to learn why people barely out of the starting gate of life were dying.

The coroner’s office, I reasoned, would have the answers.

Summit County Medical Examiner Lisa Kohler and her staff explained that while heroin alone was killing people, there was something else waging a war on our streets. Fentanyl, a strong narcotic pain medicine, was being detected in many bodies of the deceased — either alone or mixed with heroin, said toxicologist Steve Perch.

As a result, the number of obituaries continued to climb. Certainly, no one could have guessed that things would get even worse. But as this summer neared, a more potent killer arrived.

On July 4, Perch and another chemist discovered that the heroin some addicts were shooting into their veins was laced with carfentanil, a dangerous drug used to sedate large animals like elephants and buffaloes. A drug that’s 100 times stronger than fentanyl and 10,000 more potent than morphine.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” Perch recently lamented.

Seeking ultimate high

For the dealers, it’s all about having the most sought-after drugs. Though they are now being charged with involuntary manslaughter if a client dies, most dealers don’t give a damn. The almighty dollar is worth the risk.

About a year ago, I interviewed a young woman who got herself clean and is now helping others. She and her boyfriend cooked and sold meth to feed their heroin addictions. If they learned that there was a heroin batch that was killing people, they set out to find it.

While there are many who have become addicts simply because they were looking for a constant high, there are others who got hooked following a medical emergency. Perhaps they suffered a sports injury and a doctor prescribed pain medicine. But instead of a five-day supply, the doc prescribed 90 days. By the bottom of the bottle, they were addicted and couldn’t get a refill. As an alternative, they sought out heroin, which was cheaper and readily available.

As for now, Ohio — particularly Summit County — is ground zero for heroin that’s spiked with the large animal sedative. Still, there are many who are working hard to raise awareness. More and more active and recovering addicts are showing their faces and their vulnerabilities. Something they may have been too embarrassed to do less than two years ago.

The stigma is beginning to disappear, but we have a long way to go. Those who plan rallies and sponsor walks against this killer are pushing for more services. And they aren’t afraid to beg for it.

Why we should care

I know that there are plenty who can’t stomach folks who can’t, or won’t, resist the lure of a killer high. But there are reasons why we should be bothered.

Police, emergency medical technicians, hospitals, social agencies, counselors, recovery personnel, funeral directors, coroner staff and others are overworked and underappreciated. Their days are often filled with rescuing addicts — or preparing them for burial.

There is plenty of hope for addicts, as you will read in the Beacon Journal’s heroin series. Meanwhile, if you are like me, your heart aches most for the children, parents and lovers of users. Their days can be hell. Pleading with their mothers, fathers, sons, daughters and sweethearts to stop can be routine.

During a recent discussion on my Facebook page, a friend wrote: “I do wish the addicts could see and feel what it does to their loved ones.”

Jerry Craig, executive director of the Summit County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board, replied: “Sadly, they do. That is why so many in early recovery have to come to terms with the shame and guilt. Peer support helps while in recovery. But addiction is so powerful it overwhelms every other human drive, irrespective of the consequences.

“We need to understand that it is a medical illness, no matter how they got there, and surrender to treatment is required.”

Earlier this month, a rally to raise awareness drew more than 1,000 in downtown Akron. Among the crowd was Brendon Barlow, a young boy whose mother died from a fentanyl overdose. While the group prayed and applauded, he cradled an urn containing his mother’s ashes.

And so, it’s because of Brendon, Rio, Miles, Karen, Janet, Jill and others that I know of who have buried a mommy, daddy, son, daughter or lover that I care.

Kim Hone-McMahan is a former columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal. Before retiring in April, McMahan wrote extensively about the heroin epidemic and its toll on the region. Find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kim.honemcmahan.1

For years, craft beer fan Eddie Martin found himself driving out of Ohio to find rare, high-alcohol brews that were banned in the state.

He couldn’t buy beers such as Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA or 3 Floyds Dark Lord here because they exceeded Ohio’s 12 percent limit.

But all that changes Wednesday, when a new state law that scraps Ohio’s cap goes into effect, meaning not only will some of those high-alcohol beers be available at retailers throughout the Buckeye State but Ohio breweries can make and sell them as well.

“I think it’s great,” Martin, 51, of North Canton, said as he sipped a Vlad the Impaler imperial stout this week at Royal Docks Brewing Co. in Jackson Township. “It’s time for a change.”

Craft beer drinkers, retailers and breweries had been lobbying for years against the state limit, arguing that it put Ohio at a competitive disadvantage to surrounding states with no limit and stifled creativity.

The last time the limit was raised, it went from 6 percent to 12 percent in 2002.

With the craft beer industry booming — the Ohio Division of Liquor Control has issued more than 180 brewing permits — state legislators agreed earlier this year that the cap no longer makes sense, especially with no limit imposed on wine or liquor.

The Scottish brewery BrewDog’s decision to invest $32 million in building its U.S. headquarters and brewery in the Columbus suburb of Canal Winchester didn’t hurt, either.

BrewDog is known for producing several higher alcohol beers.

“I don’t think it’s just good for our business. It’s good for beer,” BrewDog co-founder James Watt said about the change in the law.

Official visit

State Senate President Keith Faber, R-Celina, who was instrumental in pushing the bill through the legislature, visited Hoppin’ Frog Brewery in Akron on Friday.

He presented the gavel used in the process and an official certificate to owner and brewer Fred Karm, who had been a big advocate for changing the law.

“I just didn’t see any reason to keep the limitation,” Faber said. “We don’t have similar limitations on wine or on spirits. I’m a free-market person and to me this is a free-market issue. We need to make sure that our guys can be competitive.”

Hoppin’ Frog, which has been rated as one of the best breweries in the world by RateBeer.com, focuses on higher alcohol beers with bold flavors.

“This is groundbreaking,” Karm said. “In the over 22 years that I’ve been brewing, we can now go the extra mile and spread our wings.”

Hoppin’ Frog will release the 13.8 percent T.O.R.I.S. the Tyrant, a triple oatmeal Russian imperial stout, in bottles and on draft Wednesday.

He said he’s looking forward to designing even more higher alcohol brews.

“Our goal is to always have one but I’d like to have more than one,” Karm said.

Thirsty Dog, Willoughby, Actual, Jackie O’s, Listermann and Zaftig are among the other Ohio breweries working on high-alcohol beers. (See the story below for more details.)

Upcoming beers

Craft beer drinkers, however, shouldn’t expect a flood of them.

For some breweries, they don’t fit their mission.

They are difficult, time-consuming and costly to produce — some of the reasons that there aren’t a ton of them on the market now.

They also are a niche product and expensive for consumers. The cost is one of the reasons that there weren’t major concerns about a potential problem with underage drinking.

The latest batch of Samuel Adams Utopias, released last year, was 28 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) and cost $199 a bottle.

Meanwhile, Dogfish Head 120 Minute, sold in a 12-ounce bottle and with an ABV that ranges from 15 percent to 20 percent, is expected to sell for $10 to $15. The Milton, Del.-based Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales already has announced that 120 Minute will be available in Ohio next week.

In many cases, these higher alcohol beers were designed to be sipped and shared, as opposed to guzzled by one individual.

Brewers and other experts expect there to be a flurry of interest in high-alcohol beers as the law changes, with people wanting to try something that has been illegal here for years.

“Brewing beer has become more of an art form over the past eight or so years since this craft boom has taken off and this truly lets brewers be creative,” said Jon Albrecht, the beer buyer for Acme Fresh Market groceries.

Some craft beer drinkers equate price and ABV, meaning they may shy away from a lower alcohol beer because they don’t feel they are getting their money’s worth, said Dave Sutula, the brewmaster at Royal Docks.

“You can’t quantify flavor,” he said.

That’s one of the reasons he thinks people will want to try the higher alcohol beers.

His brewery jumped the state law early, with its 13.1 percent Vlad the Impaler now available on draft. The beer — just like higher alcohol beer served now at most bars and restaurants — is sold in a smaller glass, a 10-ounce snifter, for $7.50.

Mainstream?

John Lane, one of the owners of the Winking Lizard Tavern chain and Lizardville Whiskey & Beer Stores, isn’t convinced that high-alcohol beers will be a big hit. He believes it will be popular only among beer geeks.

“I don’t see the mainstream jumping onto it,” Lane said.

His Lizardville stores will stock 120 Minute.

Craft beer drinker and homebrewer Mike Yingling, 44, of Northfield, is in favor of the limit being scrapped, but questions how often he will seek out a high-alcohol beer, knowing that he’s more concerned about hangovers as he gets older.

“And I want to be able to have more than just one beer,” he said.

He and others also wonder whether there will be a glut of poorly made high-alcohol beers on the market as Ohio breweries race to put one out.

“I’m real worried about it,” said Brad Clark, brewer at Jackie O’s Brewery in Athens. “There are just a small handful of people who will be able to pull it off. We may just have a sea of high-alcohol garbage.”

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his beer blog at www.ohio.com/beer.

OTHER

Sampson, Carol E., 94, of Sebring, formerly of Alliance. Died Thursday. Cassaday-Turkle-Christian.

The GAR Foundation last week announced $1.5 million in grants to 38 community organizations in Summit County, including a $450,000 challenge grant to the United Way of Summit County.

“Both GAR and United Way of Summit County recognize the value of focused, strategic giving,” said Kirstin Toth, senior vice president of GAR Foundation. “This allocation to support education programs working along the Cradle to Career continuum supports GAR’s highest funding priority.”

The following grants are for operational costs unless otherwise listed:

• Akron Roundtable, $3,000 to bring artist Theaster Gates to speak in Akron.

• Alchemy Inc., $45,000.

• Battered Women’s Shelter, $10,000 for a home goods/supplies donation clearinghouse.

• Building for Tomorrow, $80,000 for the Early Childhood Initiative.

• BVU: The Center for Nonprofit Excellence, $75,000.

• CASA Board Volunteer Association Inc., $20,000.

• Child Guidance & Family Solutions, $60,000 for the Toddlers and Preschoolers Succeeding Program.

• City of Akron, $15,000 for the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival.

• CORE Furniture Bank, $8,000.

• Crafty Mart Inc., $5,000.

• Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, $20,000 for lab upgrades in the science wing.

• Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, $50,000 for power car acquisition and rehabilitation.

• Dr. Bob’s Home, $5,000 for renovations and upgrades.

• East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation, $20,000 for building repairs.

• East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation, $40,000 for the East Akron Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.

• Emmanuel Christian Academy, $50,000 for the building renovation project.

• Family Promise of Summit County, $15,000.

• Friends of Historic Glendale Cemetery, $20,000 for the restoration of the bell tower at Glendale Cemetery.

• Friends of the Summit, $15,000 for the fall membership campaign (challenge grant).

• Great Trail Council, Boy Scouts of America, $45,000 for the Exploring and Venturing program

• Greater Akron Musical Association, $80,000.

• ideastream, $30,000 for middle school STEM professional development with coaching in Twinsburg City Schools.

• Infoline Inc., $25,000 for the Summit County Basic Needs Access Services System.

• Jewish Family Service, $35,000.

• Kent State University Foundation, $40,000 for coaching for K-3 Literacy in Barberton West Elementary School.

• NEOMED Foundation, $80,000 for the NEOMED health Pipeline-to-Practice program in Akron Public Schools.

• The Nightlight, $20,000 for operations and $5,000, for main auditorium upgrades.

• Northeast Ohio Center for Choreography, $5,000 for office space renovation.

• Proyecto Raices, $10,000.

• Rubber City Jazz and Blues Festival, $20,000, for event in downtown Akron.

• Shelter Care Inc., $5,000 for agency property upgrades.

• South Street Ministries, $10,000 for Phase II of the Front Porch Project.

• University of Akron Foundation, $20,000 for the Center of Literacy coaching in Summit County.

• Torchbearers Akron, $7,500.

• Tri-County Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates, $50,000.

• Wandering Aesthetics, $17,500 for the Bigger Than a Breadbox project

• Weathervane Community Playhouse, $40,000.

• Woodside Management, $17,500 for the Storefront Windows Project.

The GAR Foundation was established in 1967 by Galen and Ruth Roush. Galen was the co-founder and chief executive officer of Roadway Express.

Dr. Terry Wagner received the 2016 Family Physician of the Year Award from the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians. Wagner is partner/president of Hudson Family Practice of Stow, where he has practiced family medicine since 1997.

The Rogues Hollow Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps from Doyleston recently performed at the DCI Soundsport stage in Indianapolis. Corps Director Eric Bechter used a unique style of addressing and engaging the audience to start the performance. Moments later, trumpet soloist Steve Pfeiffer squealed out some high notes that electrified the listeners. Drum set player Patrick Brubaker laid down a groove in the last tune that got everyone dancing, including the folks selling souvenirs in the back. Saxophone soloist Danny Crawford and trumpet soloists Derek Zook and Steve Pfeiffer finished out the show. The judges awarded the group a gold rating in music and a silver rating overall.

Dr. Elizabeth Rita Houglan of Tallmadge, recently was promoted to the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army. The Oath of Commissioned Officers was administered by General Thomas Luczynski and witnessed by Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer Syme.

Raven Bukowski of Akron, has been named to the 2016-17 class of White House Fellows. Bukowski is a major in the United States Army. As an intelligence officer, she has led more than 200 intelligence collectors and analysts over the course of five overseas deployments within the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility.

The 22nd class of the Child & Family Leadership Exchange (CFLE) has been named, with 29 participants from 20 different area organizations taking park in a year-long series of activities designed to promote excellence in leadership among Summit County professionals who serve children and families. Class members include: Renee Baker, Caring for Kids Inc.; Tammy Barnes, Summit County Juvenile Court; Lisa Broerman, Akron Children’s Hospital; Anna Brown, National Youth Advocate Program; Barbara Cooper, County of Summit DD Board; Heath Cooper, Summit County Department of Job and Family Services; Heidi Day Hall, Summit County Juvenile Court; Beth Endres, Child Guidance & Family Solutions; Jessica Fosnaugh, Akron Children’s Hospital; Jerry Gachett, Akron Police Department; Ameeca Holmes, Akron Children’s Hospital; Lisa Karas, Summit County Juvenile Court; Victoria Janeen McGee, Oriana House Inc.; Beth McMinn Sullivan, Summit County Domestic Relations Court; Kimberly Meeker, Summit County Educational Service Center; Jessica Miller, Summit County Children Services; Brittany Paliswat, Battered Women’s Shelter of Summit and Medina Counties; Kimberly Rice, Summit County Department of Job and Family Services; Michelle Richardson, Akron Summit Community Action Inc.; Elizabeth Schmid, Summit County Children Services; Jeffrey Sibley, Goodwill Industries of Akron; Christine Smalley, County of Summit ADM Board; Jill Spillman, Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority; Lucky Tisch, County of Summit ADM Board; Katie Tomko, Summit County Prosecutor’s Office; Anntella Wells, County of Summit DD Board; George Wertz, Summit County Probate Court; Keri Wise, Blick Clinic; and Elizabeth Yoder, County of Summit DD Board.

The weekly Good News column features awards and recognitions, military and scholastic achievements, civic accomplishments and other good works. Please fax information to 330-996-3033, email it to goodnews@thebeaconjournal.com or send it to Good News, Akron Beacon Journal, 44 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44309. Include a photo if one is available.

Women drivers were incompetent. They were not emotionally fit to sit behind the wheel of a car. Crashes would decrease if only they wouldn’t drive.

An Akron firestorm ignited in 1946 when a local safety official made those public statements about the inability of “our fairer sex” to drive. The sexist comments were the talk of the town 70 years ago, and led to a challenge pitting men against women.

Gerald A. Barker, executive secretary of the Summit County Safety Council, made the remarks Aug. 26 in a Beacon Journal article about car crashes in which he blamed female drivers for a rising number of wrecks.

“I’ve been almost hit by them many times when crossing streets,” he said. “I’ve been in cars that were crowded off the highway by them. After careful deliberation, I’ve decided they are not fit to sit behind the wheel of a car. … Take them from the highways, and you will see a big decrease in Akron’s accident record.”

Barker, who had been on the job for less than a year after serving as a safety director at Goodyear Aircraft Corp. during World War II, said national statistics backed him up. The problem was that women were too emotional, he said.

“Women just don’t think in a clutch. They are of a nervous temperament and become excited too easily,” he said. “Actually what happens is they think of their appearance when they should be thinking about the proper way to handle a car. I suppose we’ve been too courteous and kind to our fairer sex. If they are going to drive cars, then it’s time they learned how.”

As one might imagine, Barker’s remarks didn’t sit well with many in the community, particularly women. Many expressed outrage at his comments.

“I think he had better take another look at traffic statistics before making any more remarks about us,” responded Helen Emmitt, president of the Ohio Parent-Teacher Association. “Women are perfectly capable of handling any vehicle. Didn’t they drive cabs and buses and sometimes trucks during the war?”

Margaret Mettler, president of the Akron and Summit County Federation of Women’s Clubs, said women could teach a thing or two to men.

“Men drive foolishly,” she said. “I wish I were a traffic officer for just one day. I’d show them a thing or two about the law.

“We pay attention to all the rules and regulations. We don’t speed. But those men! Oh, dear!”

Wife shares opinion

After the article appeared, Barker’s home phone rang off the hook.

“I must have had a thousand telephone calls,” Barker sighed. “One woman wouldn’t talk to me. Wanted my wife. She said she wanted to see what the woman was like who could live with me.”

Asked to comment on her husband, Ruth Barker replied: “He’s not such a hot driver, himself. Sometimes on trips, I feel like using a crank handle on him because he’s so confident he’s the best driver in the world. He misses that by a big, big margin.”

Barker said he was sticking to his guns until women proved him wrong. That’s when the light bulb went off.

Inspired by the controversy, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and the Akron and Summit County Federation of Women’s Clubs sponsored the Battle of the Sexes, a 10-day challenge to determine if men or women were safer drivers. They enlisted Akron Police Capt. E.L. Engelhart, leader of the traffic bureau, to serve as referee of the contest.

In the challenge, any traffic violation including jaywalking would result in a demerit. Points would be based on traffic reports, telephone complaints and special tests.

A system for scoring was established: speeding (10 points), driving left of center (9), car out of control (9), boulevard stop (8), driving while intoxicated (8), changing lanes (7), pedestrian not in crosswalk (7), pulling from curb without warning (6), illegal left turn (6), backing into car or person (6), car crashing red light (6), not yielding to car on the right (5), cutting in while passing (5), right turn from wrong lane (5), all other violations (1).

Points were tripled for a crash without injury and quintupled for an accident with injury. In the event of a death, the penalty was 10 times the demerit. Scores were counted on an 8-1 ratio because there were eight times as many men drivers as women.

“I favor the women to win, not because I believe they are better drivers, but they’ll be smart and won’t drive during the contest,” Traffic Prosecutor Robert Hartnett joked.

Racking up demerits

The contest began after midnight on Sept. 3. In addition to police reports and citations, citizens were invited to call a hot­line if they saw violations.

Capt. Engelhart drove around in an observation car with one member of each sex. “It’s a doggone sight harder to find a safe driver than it is to find a traffic violator,” he said.

Male drivers racked up 310 demerits on the first day of the contest, compared to only 120 for women. Men were docked 97 points for crashes while women didn’t have any.

Women led for three days until a special-tests phase began. Simulators were set up in a storeroom at 143 S. Main St. to gauge braking reactions, depth perception and visual acuity. Men jammed the room to test the gadgets while few women showed up. Consequently, male drivers zoomed ahead with a four-day total of 1,694 demerits for women and 1,249 for men.

The Battle of the Sexes went back and forth. Just when victory seemed secure, the men blew it on the last day by losing 476 points to car crashes and 307 points to phone complaints. Final score: Women 2,530 demerits, Men 3,236 demerits. Sorry, fellows, the women won.

“The Battle of the Sexes has convinced me of one thing,” Capt. Engelhart said afterward. “Each and every one of us would do well to watch our driving more carefully. The women have won, and we have reduced accidents by more than 10 percent.

“But let’s take a look at the record. During the past 10 days, there were 145 accidents — two of them fatal — and 275 court citations issued. Is that good driving?’

Secretary Barker, who would leave his post in 1948 for a job in Wooster, had to eat humble pie.

“I realize now that my national statistics do not apply to Akron’s women drivers,” Barker announced. “I’m glad we have a situation in Akron that is different from other sections of the country.

“I am also very pleased to hear that our accident record improved during the contest. That proves to me we can lick this traffic problem if everyone will apply himself.”

Or herself, Mr. Barker. Or herself.

Copy editor Mark J. Price can be reached at 330-996-3850 or mjprice@thebeaconjournal.com.

AKRON

Kiwanis meeting scheduled

AKRON: Glenn Leppo, chief executive officer of the Leppo Group, will speak at the luncheon meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Akron at noon Thursday, Sept. 1 at the Duck Club of Canal Park, 300 S. Main St.

Leppo began his career at McDonnell Aircraft and Amoco in research and then moved into plant operations and management at Amoco in South Carolina. He returned to the family business in 1993, eventually becoming the fourth in his family to run the company.

Leppo Group has seven locations and 120 employees and focuses on the rental and sale of construction equipment.

Tickets are $15 at the door. Reservations can be made by contacting Laura Brelin at 330-643-5503 or lbrelin@uwsummit.org.

GREEN

Muddy lake still an issue

GREEN: A Lakeview Drive resident asked city administrators and council to work together with Mystic Pointe subdivision residents to resolve issues with the lake in the area.

Addressing council members at a meeting last week, Scott Datsko said he and his neighbors, who have attended council meetings in the past, just wanted to hear some comment from the administration and the council on the subject. He called the no-reply “deafening.”

The lake began draining after the Mystic Pointe Homeowners Association cleaned out a clogged pipe that had allowed water to drain into a wetlands pond off Kreighbaum Road, flooding several properties and damaging fencing, trees and other vegetation.

Nearly all the lake water is gone, leaving unhappy residents with little more than muck.

Datsko said an engineer has been hired and wants to work with the city engineer to resolve the issues.

“The administration is working to try to resolve this. … ,” said councilman Ken Knodel. “We are waiting for the answers just like you are.”

Mayor Gerald Neugebauer said an environmental consulting group has been gathering data on the lake this summer and a report should arrived by Friday,” Neugebauer said. “We are pushing for the data so you have something to work with.”

NEW FRANKLIN

Police department certified

NEW FRANKLIN: The New Franklin Police Department recently became the first and only police agency in Summit County to be certified and be in full compliance with the new Certified Law Enforcement Agency standards.

Within the first two months of the certification process, more than 140 Ohio law enforcement agencies applied and were undergoing review, Mayor Al Bollas said, with 26 becoming certified by meeting new statewide standards for the use of force, including deadly force, and agency recruitment and hiring.

The standards are the first of their kind in Ohio and were developed by a 12-member collaborative in 2015 as part of the state’s efforts to strengthen community and police relations.

Certifications will continue throughout 2016 and a report detailing the compliance status of agencies will be published in March 2017.

For more information, visit ocjs.ohio.gov/ohiocollaborative.

Solon

Police ID woman shot

SOLON: Authorities have identified a woman who they say was fatally shot moments after her car collided with the suspect’s vehicle in suburban Cleveland.

Solon police say Deborah Pearl, 53, of Twinsburg, was killed Saturday morning. Officers responded to the crash before 7:30 a.m. and found Pearl in the road with multiple gunshot wounds. She was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

Police at the scene arrested a North Ridgeville man, 29, who was carrying a rifle. Solon police Lt. Bruce Felton tells Cleveland.com that the suspect’s name wouldn’t be released until Monday, when charges are expected to be filed.

A Wayne County toddler and her grandmother, who were reported missing, have returned home, but the child’s mother has not, according to Beacon Journal news partner newsnet5.com.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the case of a missing 2-year-old child, her mother and grandmother.

On Sunday, the grandmother and child returned home. The mother has an unrelated warrant out for her arrest in a case involving manufacturing methamphetamine, according to newsnet5.com.

Read the newsnet5.com report here.