A three-vehicle crash on a ramp to Interstate 77 on Tuesday claimed the life of a 41-year-old woman, according to reports.

The crash happened shortly after 8 p.m. on the ramp from state Route 224 east to I-77 south. A Dodge Caravan struck a Kia Amanti from behind. A third vehicle then became involved in the crash.

The crash caused flames to engulf the Kia. Fire department from Akron and Coventry responded to the crash and pulled the driver, Dawn Harr, from the vehicle. Harr, 41, of Akron, was pronounced dead at the scene. In addition, all three occupants of the Dodge were transported to local hospitals with serious injuries.

The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Crash Investigator Bob DiSabato at 330-643-2181.

CUYAHOGA  FALLS: When Jennifer and Keith Hanselman became the parents of sextuplets, people all over the world started praying for them. 

Now there’s a new reason to send up a few words on their behalf.

They have seven teenagers in their house.

Sunday is the 13th birthday of Alex, Bella, Sophia, Lucy, Logan and Kyle Hanselman, who were born Feb. 26, 2004, at Akron General Medical Center. They’re joining brother Connor, 15, in the tumultuous teen years.

The milestone brings a whole new set of challenges and worries for their parents, a shift from protecting the six from immediate dangers to helping them protect themselves from emotional hurts and poor choices. 

But that’s not exactly new. “I feel like they’ve already been teenagers for a few years,” said their mom, who figures she and her husband could have bought a pretty sweet ride for the money they’ve spent on braces. 

(Akron Beacon Journal file photo)

In this file photo, a small lull in activity lets Jennifer (l) and Keith (r) Hanselman take a short rest. Grandmother Betty Hofstetter is between them and holding Isabella.

Life at the Hanselman house has changed considerably in the years since family members and other volunteers stepped in to help with the feeding, diapering, laundering and other child-care duties, chores made exponentially more challenging by the sheer volume. 

Now the sextuplets are old enough to look after themselves and take on household duties like cooking, laundry and cleaning — albeit with some prodding, Jennifer Hanselman said with a laugh.

They’re teenagers, after all.

(Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal file photo)

The Hanselman's arrive at Lincoln Elementary School for the first day of class on in 2009.

They’re also busy, which means the Hanselmans’ evenings are mostly spent chauffeuring kids to Scouting, school events or other activities in the 15-passenger van nicknamed the Hanselbus. It’s hard to tell who’s more excited about Connor approaching driving age, him or his parents.  

On the flip side, Jennifer Hanselman has her days free now that the sextuplets are seventh-graders at Roberts Middle School and Connor is in ninth grade at Cuyahoga Falls High School. She works from home as a freelance writer and editor, while Keith Hanselman drives to Cleveland for his job with Sherwin-Williams.  

Date nights are also easier now that the kids can stay home by themselves, although Keith Hanselman joked that he and his wife have to leave strict instructions not to call them unless it’s a matter of life or death. They laugh about the time one of the kids took the remote control into the bathroom so the others couldn’t change what was on TV. Whether that was Connor or Bella is a matter of good-natured argument.  

The sextuplets are as alike as siblings and as different as, well, siblings. 

Logan is the comedian, a budding actor and movie lover who hopes to pursue acting or film directing as a career.

Alex is the most serious, with a wry humor and an interest in technology and music.

Bella is a video-game aficionado with an intellect’s sharp, sarcastic sense of humor.

Lucy is droll and bright, with a creative streak she expresses through crafting. 

Kyle is affectionate but stubborn and a little mischievous. He is nonverbal because of autism, but his mom said he’s clever enough not to let on how smart he is so adults won’t expect more from him.

Sophie is the mini-mom who likes to mother Kyle and boss her siblings around, “which doesn’t always go over well,” Jennifer Hanselman said.

Their older brother, Connor, has assumed the mantle of role model. He’s working on his Eagle Scout rank, installing flower beds and birdhouses at his siblings’ school.

As if those weren’t enough family members, the Hanselmans also have two dogs, Max and Elliott, and four cats, Cookie, Butterscotch and identical kittens Loki and Leo. “We had to put a collar on him [Loki] so we could tell them apart,” Jennifer Hanselman said — an ironic problem in a family of multiples.

The supersized family still attracts attention and comments sometimes when everyone’s out together, but people rarely realize the younger six are sextuplets. Connor figures that as the oldest, he has already answered all the questions teachers have about his siblings, so people at school rarely make a big deal out of one family occupying so many spots in a single graduating class.

The media spotlight has dimmed, too. For the most part the kids have little memory of being the subject of TV stories and newspaper articles, although Alex still recalls one TV experience as scary.

“Yeah, we were on, like, TLC or something,” Logan said, referring to the sextuplets being featured six years ago on the show Extreme Births. “Somebody thought we were on Oprah.”

(Akron Beacon Journal file photo)

Keith (l) and Jennifer Hanselman(facing camera) help the children open presents as they celebrate the sextuplet's third birthday in the family room of their home in 2007. Children from left to right: Alex, Logan, Connor, 5, Lucy, Sophia and Isabella.

Being part of such a big group is a mixed blessing, they said. “There’s always someone to hang out with, but there’s always someone to fight with,” Jennifer Hanselman said. 

“Especially at 7 o’clock in the morning,” Lucy added.

Then there’s the issue of shared bedrooms. Several of the kids said they’re definitely over that.

Clearly, though, they’re comfortable with the togetherness and chaos that come with being a big family. Something as simple as trying to coax Kyle downstairs for a family photo turns into a sudden burst of laughter and commotion that fills their 3,300-square-foot house.

Pretty soon Alex has climbed onto the kitchen counter to try to snag one of the cats from atop a cupboard so it could be included in the picture. Sophie is groaning in protest as Bella tries to squeeze next to her on the sofa. Max and Elliott are racing around and leaping onto laps in search of hands to pet them. 

Just another day at the Hanselmans’.

Mary Beth Breckenridge can be reached at 330-996-3756 or mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com. You can also become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MBBreckABJ, follow her on Twitter @MBBreckABJ  and read her blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/mary-beth.

A man from Akron’s Kenmore neighborhood faces murder charges in the death of his wife.

Akron police charged Donald Alexander Sr., 51, with murder on Friday. He’s accused of shooting and killing his wife, 37-year-old Shannon Meyer.

Meyer was found dead at about 5:30 a.m. Friday in the couple’s home in the 2300 block of 14th Street Southwest. She had been shot in the head.

The two argued before Alexander pulled out a gun and shot her, according to reports.

Alexander is scheduled to for an arraignment hearing in Akron Municipal Court on Saturday.

MEDINA

Cox, William Lee, 41, of Chatham Township. Died Thursday. Waite & Son, Medina.

STARK

Cary, Nancy E., 76, of Massillon. Died Wednesday. Paquelet & Arnold-Lynch.

Bethel, Roger A., 60, of Canton. Died Thursday. Paquelet & Arnold-Lynch, Massillon.

CLEVELAND: Authorities say a woman hit by a rapid transit train as she tried to climb up on the platform of a Cleveland train station has died.

Police and fire officials said the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority train hit the 18-year-old woman Friday afternoon. Her name wasn’t immediately released. Investigators say the woman was with a group of people passing out promotional fliers in the neighborhood. Police say the group ran across the tracks and the woman was climbing onto the platform when an eastbound RTA train hit her.

A Barberton High School math teacher has resigned his post following controversy that he used an offensive word during class.

Superintendent Patti Cleary said on Friday that David Barnwell, who had been with the district since 1993, had resigned. Cleary described Barnwell as an otherwise exemplary teacher.

“Mr. Barnwell’s personnel file is devoid of any discipline,” she said in a statement. “During the course of the investigation, Mr. Barnwell sincerely apologized for his use of the inappropriate word, saying he deeply regretted it.”

The personnel file, which was provided to the Beacon Journal, almost solely included positive reviews of Barnwell’s teaching methods and activities. A few reprimands from supervisors were included, but nothing negative involved students.

Barnwell could not be reached for comment.

According to reports, Barnwell used the word during class earlier this month. Some reports indicated the word was directed at a student, but others said he used the word generally. Cleary declined to say what the word was, but said it would be “offensive to anybody who would hear it.”

An investigation into the incident began shortly after the incident, with Barnwell being placed on paid administrative leave.

The records for high temperatures kept falling all across Northeast Ohio on Friday in anticipation of them falling after storms sweep across the region early Saturday morning.

Record highs were set at the Akron-Canton Airport around 2 p.m. when the mercury hit 75 degrees, breaking the previous record of 68 set in 1961.

It was also the warmest February day ever recorded in Akron since weather records were first established back in 1887. The previous warmest day for the month was 72 degrees back in Feb. 26, 2000.

Record highs were also recorded in Toledo, Cleveland, Mansfield and Youngstown.

This marks the third day in a row a record temperature was recorded in Akron and the fourth time in a week history was made.

Things will change in a hurry around 1 a.m. when storms — some of which could be severe — come in from the west.

The National Weather Service says the biggest threat could be high winds — as high as 70 miles per hour — as the cold front sweeps across the region.

Rain will hang around Saturday, and it will be windy with temperatures falling to the upper 30s by the afternoon.

Temperatures will remain in the 30s on Sunday with a chance of snow showers in the evening.

More spring-like temperatures are expected to return by Tuesday with highs in the 50s.

Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547.

As an assistant prosecutor in Summit County, Greta Johnson made a habit of asking females on the witness stand if they had married their alleged rapists.

“And that just seemed crazy to me. But it was a question I had to ask,” Johnson said. “I remember occasionally thinking, what if they were married? Would that have changed the situation?”

The situation? Maybe not. Justice for the crime? Maybe.

In Ohio, husbands or wives can rape their spouses so long as there is no force or threat of force. The “spousal exemption” means husbands can drug and rape wives, and avoid a first-degree felony rape charge.

“As a former prosecutor,” said Johnson, who now represents part of Akron in the Ohio House, “I would argue that you could still try to prosecute under the forced rape statute, but unfortunately drugging and raping your spouse in Ohio is not illegal.”

In her first term, Johnson introduced House Bill 234. It would have done away with this “spousal exemption” in Ohio’s criminal code. The bipartisan, bicameral Ohio Criminal Justice Recodification Committee explored this and agreed.

But the 2015 bill died in a Republican-controlled committee, receiving no more than initial testimony from its Democrat sponsors, Johnson and Rep. Teresa Fedor of Toledo.

Johnson suspects the bill failed for partisan reasons. Obstructing legislation offered by minority parties is common practice in Ohio’s history of making laws.

But GOP members also pushed back on a provision of the bill that eliminated Ohio’s 20-year statute of limitations on rape and sexual assault cases. Johnson still thinks rape should be categorized with murder and aggravated murder as crimes that have no shelf life for prosecution.

“I’ve always called rape murder of the soul. It changes people in fundamental ways. Nobody will ever be the same,” Johnson said. “The only thing [my clients] wanted was something I could never offer, which is the day before [the rape] happened.”

But with more pragmatism in her second term, Johnson have compromised by dropping the provision on statute of limitations and instead crafted a cleaner bill that focuses on the marital rape exemptions.

Still, no Republican has sponsored the bill, which was introduced Friday by Johnson and Rep. Kristin Boggs, D-Columbus, and co-sponsored by 10 Democrats. Next week, the bill will get numbered and assigned again to a Republican-controlled committee, this time chaired by Rep. Nathan Manning, a former prosecutor in North Ridgeville.

Manning’s office said he was unavailable to comment on whether Johnson’s bill would have a chance. A staffer instead referred the Beacon Journal to House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, who sets the legislative agenda.

Brad Miller, Rosenberger’s spokesperson, said that Republicans are not likely to co-sponsor unnumbered bills without seeing the full text. But Miller did say that it is “correct” that GOP members often co-sponsor other bills before they are introduced.

“I know the speaker hasn’t had a chance to review anything with this bill or the caucus,” Miller said. “Most of this is really early in the process in terms of what might happen next.”

Miller could not comment on why House Bill 234 had failed. He deferred to Johnson, “who is leading the charge” on outlawing marital rape.

Miller did say that the current bill might get bipartisan support. As evidence, he referenced House Bill 1, which would authorize dating violence protection orders. That bipartisan bill was introduced by Manning and Rep. Emilia Sykes, a Democrat from Akron. It’s an example of what Miller called a “priority bill” on the current legislative agenda.

Meanwhile, Ohio remains one of 13 states that treat spouses different than most charged with sexual imposition, gross sexual imposition, sexual battery or complicity to commit any of the above.

More disturbing, Johnson said, is that Ohio is one of only eight states with a spousal exemption for rape. Most women, she said of her experience talking to victims, don’t even know they were raped until videos of the criminal act surface online. Their failure to recall the event is sometimes the result of being drugged, which would give exemption to matrimonial rapists.

Doug Livingston can be reached at 330-996-3792 or dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @ABJDoug .

Colin Leporis knelt on the ground with his teammates as they scooped cup after cup of steel pellets into a 5-gallon orange bucket.

The bucket swung from a rope strung through the center of a miniature bridge Colin and his team constructed solely out of balsa wood and glue.

Finally, after minutes of scooping, the bucket crashed to the ground, its handle bent from the weight.

“What? How! That doesn’t make sense,” 15-year-old Colin said in amazement with eyes widened as the bucket weighed in at a whopping 115.6 pounds.

Although it was only his first year in the competition, Colin and his team from Springfield High School emerged victorious at this year’s 17th annual Miniature Bridge Building competition Friday at the Summit County Fairgrounds in Tallmadge.

Summit County Engineer Alan Brubaker hosted the competition alongside 18 other sponsoring engineer firms, each of which had a representative at the competition to help judge and offer words of encouragement during the building process.

“There are some very unique [designs] here from prior years,” Brubaker said. “I’m impressed.”

More than 100 students from 19 high schools in Summit County took part in this year’s competition. Springfield High School Team 1 came in first place among 36 teams.

Western Reserve Academy Team 1 came in second, holding 97 pounds, and Springfield High School Team 2 came in third, holding 106.4 pounds. Bridges are mainly judged on their efficiency, which considers how much the bridge weighs and how much weight it can hold.

Portage Lakes Career Center Team 2 took first place for aesthetics.

Colin, a freshman, and his teammates, Gabrielle Miller, 18, and Matthew Jordan, 17, both seniors, will get their names placed on a traveling trophy they get to keep in their school for the year. They also get to take home $100, while the second- and third-place teams get $50 and $25, respectively.

Springfield High has developed a sort of legacy in bridge building. Teams from the school have placed every year at least the past several years.

Peter Geiss, a technical education teacher, advises Springfield’s bridge-building club, which prepares for the competition every year with mock trials beforehand. He said the winning teammates entered the club as individuals, and when they didn’t have a group to compete with, he teamed them up.

“We kind of just put our heads together and made up a design,” Gabrielle said.

Many participants do a similar project in their physics class to “qualify” for the competition, although some choose to enter without any experience.

Students develop a blueprint for their designs before the competition. Then, the day of, they spend nearly three hours straight constructing their bridges out of just a handful of tools, thin pieces of balsa wood and glue.

When the time is up, they take their bridges to the “breaking table,” where hours of work are pulverized in seconds.

It’s worth it, though, when students build a structure that can hold nearly 1,500 times its weight, like Springfield’s bridge did.

Students don’t need to win to reap benefits, either. All participants are eligible for scholarships funded by the engineering firms.

Above all, the students concurred the experience was useful, whether they were interested in pursuing engineering or not.

“This was actually a lot of fun,” said Colin, who said he wants to pursue mechanical engineering. “I’m having a good experience this year. I’ll be back next year.”

Theresa Cottom can be reached at 330-996-3216 or tcottom@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @Theresa_Cottom .

AKRON

Man accused of killing wife

AKRON: A Kenmore man faces murder charges in the death of his wife.

Akron police charged Donald Alexander Sr., 51, with murder on Friday. He’s accused of shooting and killing his 37-year-old wife, Shannon Meyer.

Meyer was found dead about 5:30 a.m. Friday in the couple’s home in the 2300 block of 14th Street Southwest. She had been shot in the head.

The two quarreled before Alexander pulled out a gun and shot her, according to reports.

Alexander is scheduled for an arraignment hearing Saturday in Akron Municipal Court.

Woman dies in fiery crash

AKRON: A three-vehicle crash on a ramp to Interstate 77 on Tuesday claimed the life of a 41-year-old woman, according to reports.

The crash occurred shortly after 8 p.m. on the ramp from state Route 224 east to I-77 south. A Dodge Caravan struck a Kia Amanti from behind. A third vehicle then became involved in the crash.

The crash caused flames to engulf the Kia. Fire departments from Akron and Coventry responded to the crash and pulled the driver, Dawn Harr, from the vehicle. Harr, 41, of Akron, was pronounced dead at the scene. In addition, all three occupants of the Dodge were transported to local hospitals with serious injuries.

The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call crash investigator Bob DiSabato at 330-643-2181.

Drug awareness program

AKRON: The Highland Park Block Watch will present Hidden in Plain Sight, an Akron Police Department drug awareness program at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Sam Salem Community Learning Center, 1222 W. Waterloo Road.

Hidden is an interactive, sometimes-shocking look at how kids have been taught to hide drugs in the most common, everyday items.

Police will also address substance abuse, underage drinking and more. No youths will be permitted to attend.

The block watch will hold its monthly meeting at 6 p.m. before the police presentation.

SUMMIT COUNTY

Feeman to hold meeting

AKRON: District 6 Summit County Councilman Jerry Feeman and the R.I.G.H.T. committee will meet with district residents at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Reservoir Park Community Center, 1735 Hillside Terrace, Akron.

Guest speakers will include Patrick Bravo of the Summit County Land Bank and an Akron police representative who will provide a neighborhood crime update and address concerns.

Anyone with questions can call Feeman at 330-643-2725.

WADSWORTH

Suspect sought in rape

WADSWORTH: City police are asking for help in locating a rape suspect.

Rodric S. Green, 41, was indicted on charges of first-degree rape and kidnapping in October but his whereabouts are unknown. He is accused of raping a 16-year-old girl during a party in July at a Wadsworth residence where he had been staying.

He is described as a black man with black hair and brown eyes, 6-foot-3 and weighing 225 pounds.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call police at 330-334-1511.

Wayne County

Wiggam plans office hours

WAYNE COUNTY: State Rep. Scott Wiggam, R-Wooster, will host public office hours for Wayne County residents at several locations and times on Monday.

From noon to 1 p.m., he’ll be at Creston Library, 116 S. Main St, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. he will be at the Doylestown Library at 169 Portage St. and his last stop will be 3-4 p.m. at Dalton Library, 127 S. Church St.

All are welcome.

Those unable to attend can contact Wiggam by calling 614-466-1474 or emailing Rep01@ohiohouse.gov.

Since 2012, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has annually honored employers for innovations designed to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses.

Here are previous area winners of the bureau’s Safety Innovations Awards:

• AWP (Area Wide Protective) of Kent, provider of traffic-control and flagging services for cities and other clients. Took fifth place last year for using drawer-like Bedslides in its pickup truck beds to help employees load and unload traffic-control signs and other items.

• City of Cuyahoga Falls. Won fourth place last year for buying an underground cable puller machine that reduced the potential for line workers employed by the city-owned utility to be hit by rope under thousands of pounds of tension.

• National Machine Group Aerospace of Stow, provider of machining and other services to aerospace and industrial markets. Won honorable mention in 2014 for purchasing a hoist to reduce hazards associated with machining aircraft.

• Advanced Industrial Roofing of Massillon, a specialist in industrial and commercial roofing. Received the Judges Award in 2014 for use of roofing tools to eliminate bending and kneeling.

• City of Akron. Won People’s Choice Award in 2012 for buying a device called the Magnetic Manhole Buddy lifting system, in which a magnet is used to lift manhole covers, reducing the risk of injuries to employees who must move the covers to access underground equipment.

MEDINA

Everett, Lenora S., 90, of Litchfield Township. Died Friday. Parker, Lodi.

McDermott, Clair Jr., 80, of Westfield Township. Died Friday. Parker, Lodi.

STARK

Harrison, Lucy, 76, or Alliance. Died Thursday. Cassaday-Turkle-Christian.

Qualk, JoAnn, 83, of Atwater. Died Thursday. Cassaday-Turkle-Christian, Alliance.

Forty of the best race-car drivers in the world will fire up their engines at 2 p.m. Sunday for the 59th annual Daytona 500.

Also known as The Great American Race, it is indisputably the premier event on the entire NASCAR schedule.

Normally, Daytona is a cause for celebration among race fans. But when this year’s contest begins, a bunch of area residents likely will be watching with tears trickling down their faces.

Their grief will be tied to special decals affixed to many of the cars in the field. The decals depict a Goodyear tire with the name Ryan Copeland, along with “1974-2016.”

You’ve probably never heard of Copeland, who grew up in Green and lived in Lake Township. But the folks inside NASCAR considered him a genius. He was a Goodyear tire engineer who, according to the crew chief for veteran driver Kasey Kahne, was simply “the best.”

Copeland’s tragic death just a few days before Christmas not only devastated his family and friends but shook up the whole NASCAR world.

When a former colleague set up a GoFundMe account to benefit the family, donations came roaring in, many from NASCAR drivers and crews. The effort raised just shy of $50,000. Retired superstar driver Tony Stewart personally gave $5,000.

The visiting hours and funeral drew 500 people, including four or five NASCAR teams that drove all the way up from North Carolina.

“Copey,” as he was known in the pits, died while riding a snowmobile in his own yard — with part of his family watching. Doesn’t get much worse than that.

The weather was icy. He was zooming through the front yard, starting to make a loop, when the snowmobile skiis got hung up in the ice. Everyone knew it was bad.

The obituary appeared on Christmas Day.

As you can imagine, the family is still reeling.

“It’s so hard,” says his wife, Maria. “We met when we were 15.”

Maria says their children — Tyler, 11; Vincent, 9; and Gina, 7 — “are just so lost. He was the best dad. The best.”

Her description may qualify him as the best husband, too.

“He was always selfless, never wanting anything for himself. He only wanted to provide the best life for our family.

“Ryan expected you to do your best. It was easy because you wanted to make him proud.

“I looked at him with such admiration. He was my living legend.”

The tremendous pain left by his passing has been eased somewhat by a huge outpouring of support.

“All of NASCAR and Goodyear have just been so wonderful in reaching out and supporting me,” Maria says. “The Goodyear guys have been over here almost every weekend. They all feel the loss there, too.”

One of his rocks has been Sam Bernard, one of the first female Goodyear racing engineers, who was at the house the night of the crash and “has become a true friend.”

Gina also praises Uniontown Elementary and Lake Middle schools for their support, as well as Holy Spirit Church, family, friends, neighbors and “even complete strangers.”

“I know how happy Ryan would be with all the outpouring of love.”

UA STAR

Born in Barberton, Ryan Copeland attended Green High School and in 1998 graduated magna cum laude from the University of Akron in mechanical engineering.

Not that he was always a stellar student.

“When he was young, he wasn’t too enthused with school,” says his dad, Roger, with a laugh. “By the time he got into this engineering curriculum, then he really got a hold of it.”

Ryan was a gearhead growing up — no surprise, given that his dad was into drag racing. The father says his son was ready to roar early on: “He bought a car when he was 15, a 1980 Malibu, and within a year of getting his license he was wanting to pull out the six-cylinder motor and put in a V-8.”

Roger knew Ryan had blossomed into a top-flight engineer, but he didn’t realize just how talented he was until witnessing NASCAR’s reaction to his death.

“You’re always proud of your kids,” Roger says, “but you don’t really know how good a job they might have been doing until something like this happens.”

Make no mistake: Ryan was very, very good.

This from Rick Campbell, the primary interface between Goodyear and NASCAR: “Ryan was a low-key, quiet, background kind of guy. But he was the expert in his field.

“He lived and breathed NASCAR tires, and he particularly focused on the durability. He was really zeroed in on making sure a tire could handle whatever it needed to handle.”

Campbell says Copeland was superb at figuring out what would work best on each of NASCAR’s widely varying racetracks.

“He was very effective and very successful over quite a long period of time. It’s going to hurt us. It’s a loss.”

Keith Rodden, the crew chief for Kasey Kahne’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, also sings his praises.

“He and I got into the sport about the same time, and he became ‘that guy’ for me to talk to,” Rodden says. “He was the best.

“He was a most straightforward, genuine, open person to talk to.”

Rodden says Copeland was comfortable in both “the lab world” and the “tire-hitting-the-track world.”

“He understood what they built in the lab, but was open to how the tire actually acted on the track, which is why he was so good at what he did.”

Personally, Rodden says, “Ryan was a great guy. He talked about his family a lot, and last year at the Michigan race he brought his family to the track and that brought it all home for me. They were all super-nice, and it was pretty special to tie that all together and meet the people he talked a lot about.”

ANOTHER SON

Among the people taking Copeland’s death particularly hard is a former neighbor.

John Messina, who managed the old Jack Horner’s restaurant in East Akron for 27 years, lived two doors down from Ryan when he was growing up in Green.

“I’ve known him since his mom was pregnant with him,” Messina says. “I’m 74, and I have three sons, and Ryan was part of my family.” His voice catches. “I’m choked up because I have a hard time with this. It’s like losing my own son.”

Messina says his former neighbor was “an excellent father and excellent young man. ... Just a super person. He touched a lot of lives.”

Messina repaired the crashed snowmobile “just to get it away from the house. It was hard for me to do, but I did it alone where I could cry if I had to.”

He had to.

DODGED SPOTLIGHT

Messina will be among those watching the race on WJW (Channel 8). He is eager to hear what is said about Ryan H. Copeland.

Maria Copeland is thrilled that her husband is being saluted at NASCAR’s biggest event.

“It’s such an honor,” she says, “and I know Ryan would be moved and touched beyond words for such recognition.”

Not that he would ever lobby for attention. To the contrary.

“When they cleaned out his desk at work and brought his stuff home, all of his patents and all of his achievements and the awards he ever got were literally at the bottom of the drawer.

“I couldn’t believe it. I knew he had patents over the years, but he was never one to boast about his accolades.

“That was so him.”

This time, for once, it’s all about him.

Bob Dyer can be reached at 330-996-3580 or bdyer@thebeaconjournal.com. He also is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bob.dyer.31

Remember that time a friend told you about running in a local race and you wished you could do something like that?

You’ve just lost your last excuse.

The Akron Marathon has scheduled community meetings with tips on how to get off the couch and onto the Blue Line — even if the most you can imagine is walking a brisk pace.

There are three special evenings this spring during which organizers will share training and event information and registration incentives for first-timers ready to give it a go.

The first meeting is aimed at beginners and walkers, perfect for those who are looking to become active but are not yet ready to run.

Meet at 6 p.m. March 23, at Acme Fresh Market’s community room at 1835 W. Market St. in Akron.

If you’ve got the walking down pat and you’re ready to graduate to a short run, mark your calendar for 6 p.m. April 19 at the Acme in Green, 3875 Massillon Road.

That session is ideal for those who have set their sights on their very first race.

But if you already have experience at 5K and 10K races, you might be ready for the big one.

Learn what it takes to run a marathon at 6 p.m. May 18 at Acme’s Montrose store, 3979 Medina Road.

That meeting is geared toward those who run on a regular basis but are still waiting to mark the marathon off their bucket list.

Once you have the proper motivation, there are three runs this summer in the Akron Marathon Race Series.

• A 1-mile walk or run and an 8K on June 24.

• A 10K and half-marathon on Aug. 12.

• The marathon, half-marathon, team relay and Kids Fun Run on Sept. 23.

The dates were developed to help guide runners through a typical training schedule so they could be prepared for all three races. Last year, 1,500 people did just that.

For those who don’t want to wait, online registration is already open at AkronMarathon.org.

Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis.

WADSWORTH:

Teresa West-Holmes never had much luck training Bro for dog show competitions.

The 98-pound Rhodesian Ridgeback would act like — in her words — a goofball.

But that all changed when her 10-year-old daughter Emily was put in charge.

It turns out that the soft-spoken brunette girl who wants to grow up to be a veterinarian is a Bro whisperer.

Under Emily’s direction, the dog started listening and winning awards, including an American Kennel Club Grand Champion title.

They reached the pinnacle of their competition careers so far earlier this month, taking home a Best of Opposite Sex honor at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York. At least one other Akron-area dog won a Best of Opposite Sex award at the event. (See accompanying story.)

For their win, Emily and Bro received a ribbon and medal, which will go on display at their house.

“I was surprised,” Emily said this week during an interview in her living room with Bro sitting on a brown leather couch next to her. “I didn’t think I would do that well.”

As for why Bro, who just turned 2, pays attention to Emily, her mother has a theory.

“I think he likes you better,” said West-Holmes, a veterinary technician. “You’re his kid.”

Emily, who’s outweighed by about 25 pounds, admitted that she was plenty nervous to participate in the Westminster show because of the large audience and television cameras. Her main goal was just to have fun.

But now with one Westminster experience under her belt, Emily is excited about going back, with an eye on winning best of breed next time. (When the best of breed is selected, a dog of the opposite sex is chosen as the Best of Opposite Sex winner.)

Emily’s mother and father, Paul, are proud of her poise, given the fact that most dogs are accompanied by professional handlers.

Emily has been surrounded by dogs her whole life. West-Holmes has been showing them since 2002, starting with cockers.

But a Rhodesian Ridgeback “fell into their laps” years ago and the family has been focused on the breed ever since. They have five of them now and breed the dogs.

“They are like potato chips,” West-Holmes said. “You can’t have just one.”

The large breed, which has a ridge of hair on its back running opposite its coat, originated in southern Africa and is also known as an African lion hound.

It’s a mishmash of several breeds.

“Farmers wanted something that could protect the house, safe enough to play with the kids, herd the livestock, hunt upland game and be able to go out and traverse the countryside all day,” West-Holmes said.

The Rhodesian Ridgebacks also turned out to be good at tracking and cornering lions.

The breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1955.

West-Holmes described them as great companion dogs, even “oafy” to a degree.

The family makes sure that all their dogs get pop culture names.

Bro’s registered name is GCH CH Luvakis Shirley’s Legen-WaitForIt-Dary! Legendary! JC CGC, a reference to the TV show How I Met Your Mother. The family started calling him “Bro Code,” another famous reference from the show and then shortened that to just Bro.

His mother was Don’t Call Me Shirley, a reference to the Leslie Nielsen line from the Airplane! movie.

His father, Zero, won Best of Breed at Westminster in 2011.

Bro’s favorite snack, in case you were wondering, is beef hearts cooked on a George Foreman Grill.

Emily, a fifth-grader at Wadsworth Central Intermediate School whose favorite subject is math, said her classmates and friends aren’t impressed with her dog handling skills.

“They don’t really care about it,” she said.

Neither does her 5-year-old sister, Erin, who is more into cats and penguins.

Believe it or not, Emily, who participates in 4-H, believes she’s better at ballet than dog handling. She also enjoys swimming.

But there’s something special about dog competitions.

“I like spending time with my dog,” Emily said.

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ .

BATH TWP.: Halle Luxmore fell in love with Pekingese dogs for one main reason — they don’t give her the time of day.

“They’re terrible,” she said with a laugh. “They’re so ornery. They’re stubborn. And they make you work for it.

“There’s a big joke in the Pekingese community: How do you tell a Pekingese to come, sit and stay? It’s all the same. They don’t listen.”

Well, Luxmore’s dog Emmie — who appears to be more fluffy fur than actual dog — must pay attention a little bit. Or maybe she just listens when in front of a big audience.

Emmie took home a Best of Opposite Sex award at the recent 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City. At least one other Akron-area dog won the same honor at the event. (See accompanying story.)

For their win, Luxmore and Emmie received a ribbon and medal, which will go on display at their nearly 12,000-square-foot mansion.

Luxmore’s eyes welled as she described her first visit to the venerable dog show. A little over a year earlier, she boldly pledged that she was going to attend the event.

And she did.

“What an honor,” she said.

To describe Luxmore, 46, as a dog lover would be an understatement. She owns 15 dogs.

She calls her husband, Dr. Brett Luxmore, who’s an emergency room physician at Akron Children’s Hospital, a saint for putting up with her hobby.

He is supportive of her dog obsession but doesn’t share the same passion, she said.

Their 22-year-old son, Mason, helps with the dogs and has even shown — besting his mom once at an event.

“I’m so proud of her,” he said about her Westminster award.

Luxmore started showing Japanese Chins in 2010, but then moved on to Pekingese in 2015.

Emmie, whom she received as a puppy from a friend in France, was the first Pekingese she showed.

She hopes to return to Westminster next year with Ranger, a male Pekingese that she bred.

Luxmore, who’s animated and bubbly while talking about her pets, isn’t a professional dog breeder or handler. There’s no pretension about her or her dogs.

“They live in my home like family,” Luxmore said.

But the dogs, she admitted, are treated like royalty.

“She knows she’s a princess,” Luxmore cooed to the 8-pound Emmie, whose registered name is GCH CH Follow Me Just Call Me Empress.

“She doesn’t care,” she added. “It’s about Emmie. How fabulous is it that the dog loves themselves so much that they don’t give a hoot? They know they’re pretty. They know you’re going to spoil them. They know you’re going to love them. They don’t care.”

Emmie enjoys attending the shows. She also loves staying at hotels on the road, where she gets pampered with a cheeseburger or grilled chicken.

Emmie also got treated like a queen on the Delta plane ride home from Westminster. Legendary singer Neil Sedaka happened to be on the same flight.

The pilot announced that there were two celebrities on board: Sedaka and Emmie.

“That was pretty cool,” Luxmore said.

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ .

AKRON

Kiwanis meeting

AKRON: John Shulan, owner of Shulan’s Jewelry in Fairlawn, will speak at the Kiwanis Club of Akron’s luncheon meeting at noon Thursday at the Game Grill & Bar, the restaurant in Canal Park, 300 S. Main St.

The title of Shulan’s talk is The Scale of the Universe. It’s a Very Big Place!

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

Free tax preparation

AKRON: Appointments are available for free federal and state income tax preparation assistance at the University of Akron’s Polsky Hall, 225 S. Main St., Room 550N downtown.

The program is available to the public.

Appointments, which must be made in advance, are available from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and 1 to 7 p.m. Thursdays. To make an appointment, go to www.uakron.edu/cba/departments/accountancy/vita.dot and scroll down to “Vita registration page” and click on the link.

Those seeking help with their taxes — and who want to determine whether they are eligible to receive an Earned Income Tax Credit — can get help from trained volunteers through the partnership between AARP and UA’s School of Accountancy.

‘Jabberwocky’ performance

AKRON: The Great Lakes Theater Outreach Tour will perform The Jabberwocky from 2 to 3:30 p.m. March 5 at Firestone Metro Park’s Coventry Oaks Lodge, 40 Axline Ave.

The free performance, inspired by a Lewis Carroll poem, is recommended for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

It follows the story of two children who band together after being bullied by classmates. To avoid their tormentors, the students follow a secret map and escape to the Tulgey Wood, where they meet a king who begs them to save his people from the fearsome Jabberwocky.

NORTHEAST OHIO

Police: Man tied up family

WILLOUGHBY: A man allegedly tied up multiple family members in his father’s basement in Willoughby, Beacon Journal news partner NewsNet5 reported.

According to Willoughby police, it all started around 7 p.m. Friday when 34-year-old Michael Ribaudo went to his father’s house for dinner. Police said Ribaudo lured his 72-year-old father into the basement where he assaulted him with chloroform before binding and gagging him.

Ribaudo then allegedly went to his mother’s house in Willoughby and drove her to his father’s house. Police said he struggled with his 65-year-old mother before assaulting her and tying her to a post in the basement.

Police said Ribaudo did the same thing with his aunt, bringing her to his father’s and then assaulting the 59-year-old woman before tying her to the post in the basement.

One of the women was able to escape and told Ribaudo that she had called 911. Police said Ribaudo fled the scene. She then called 911 at 11:20 p.m.

When EMS personnel arrived, they treated the victims at the scene for injuries to their arms and legs.

Around 4 a.m., Eastlake police found Ribaudo inside his car in the Eastlake Wal-Mart parking lot. He was arrested and transported to the Willoughby Police Department. He will be held pending an arraignment.

PENINSULA

Retirement planning

PENINSULA: A class on planning for retirement will be held at 6:30 p.m. March 7 at the Peninsula Library, 6105 Riverview Road.

A Crash Course in Retirement, presented by James C. Sexton III of Western Reserve Capital Management of Hudson, will cover topics including how to take income from your assets in the most tax-efficient manner and how to avoid costly IRA mistakes.

The class is focused on issues for anyone preparing for retirement or those already in retirement. Learning materials will be provided.

Call the library at 330-657-2291 to register for the free program.

Cedar Point will have a new coaster — well sort of — to greet visitors this summer.

The Sandusky park has announced that it making a virtual reality ride out of its Iron Dragon roller coaster during the evening hours.

The park had experimented last summer with a medieval-themed virtual experience in which riders where special headgear and are immersed in a world where they are whisked away by a dragon to battle ogres.

The switch will not start when the park opens for the season May 4.

The coaster will offer the more typical traditional coaster during the day, but from June 9 to Sept. 4 the virtual reality rides will be available after 6 p.m.

The announcement was made as a part of the park’s Winter Chill Out behind-the-scenes tours offered to coaster nuts over the weekend that raised some $40,000 for A Kid Again charity that assists families dealing with life-threatening illnesses.

The Joe Cool Cafe near Planet Snoopy is being replaced by the popular Northeast Ohio eatery Melt.

This will be the gourmet grilled cheese eatery’s ninth location and will feature an exclusive Cedar Point-themed sandwich, along with a full bar.

The park’s former RipCord attraction that was a staple in the Challenge Park area will take up residence in the former Shoot the Rapids area in Frontier Trail.

The extra-fee attraction is being dubbed Professor Delbert’s Frontier Fling.

“Frontier Fling is a historical nod to the Paddlewheel Excursions boat ride, where animated character Delbert Feinstein made several ‘attempts’ to fly over the passing paddlewheel boats on his crudely-assembled flying machine,” the park said in its announcement.

Work continues on the park’s large waterpark expansion and a not-so-secret conversion of the wooden Mean Streak coaster that closed last fall into a steel hybrid coaster attraction.

Cedar Point remains cagey about its plans for the coaster that has been only been partially taken down, saying an announcement will be made soon.

The 18-acre Cedar Point Shores waterpark is set to make its debut May 27 with four all-new water attractions, including the Point Plummet – a six-story drop slide where the floor drops beneath the riders feet.

Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547.

You’ve probably never heard of Benjamin Sherman Crothers, so you’re unlikely to know he was born in Terre Haute, Ind.

If you’re of a certain age, however, you might know his stage name: Scatman Crothers. Did you know that his alias was born in Akron?

The bald, raspy-voiced entertainer, whose career peaked 40 years ago with recurring roles in television series such as the NBC sitcom Chico and the Man (1974-1978), voice-over work on Saturday cartoons including CBS’ Harlem Globetrotters (1970-71) and ABC’s Hong Kong Phooey (1974), as well as memorable parts in Hollywood movies such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), The Shootist (1976) and The Shining (1980), gained fame as a nightclub entertainer in Northeast Ohio.

Crothers was 27 when he visited Akron in 1937 for a limited engagement during the Great Depression. He ended up staying about eight years.

“I made Akron my headquarters in those days, living at the Green Turtle Hotel on Howard Street,” Crothers recalled in a 1975 interview with the Beacon Journal. “Even in those tough times, we filled the Kit Kat Club on North Main Street. And me and my combo played a regular gig on radio station WADC.”

In his act, Crothers sang and played several instruments, including piano, guitar and drums. WADC hired him to perform a live, 15-minute show from 1:45 to 2 p.m. five days a week, but a station manager didn’t think “Benjamin Sherman Crothers” was a name that listeners would remember.

“Well, out of a clear, blue sky I said, ‘Call me Scatman,’ ” Crothers recalled. “They laughed, said, ‘Why that?’ And I said ‘ ’Cause I do quite a bit of scattin’. Man, the requests I used to get on that show.”

“Scat” is a jazz style in which a singer improvises made-up words. “Skippity-zappity. Boppity-bippity-bip-a-dee-doo.”

“WADC’s Scat Man and his swing band is rating considerable notice by dialers,” the Beacon Journal noted. Crothers added a 9:30 p.m. radio show, which most likely was a remote broadcast from clubs because “The Scatman” was in big demand.

Harry A. Panago­poulos booked Crothers at Harry’s Black and Tan, an Akron club at West Bartges Street and Rhodes Avenue that endured vice raids for allowing dancing on Sundays. “Scat Man and His Black and Tan Band” performed at Brady Lake Park in Portage County while “Scat Man and His Original CBS Swing Band” played at Akron’s Merry-Go-Round on South Main.

Crothers met his future wife, Helen Sullivan, a Steubenville native, at a 1936 gig at Canton’s Commodore Hotel. He was black and she was white. They fell in love and got married in Canton in 1937.

“When he went away again, I missed him so much,” Helen Crothers recalled. “He missed me, too, so we decided to get married. He was playing in Akron, and I was still in Canton. … He got his blood test in Akron, and I got mine in Canton.”

Society was less accepting in those days, but Crothers said the interracial couple encountered few problems because they didn’t “make no big, flaunting issue of it.”

“Color don’t mean anything,” he insisted. “People gonna try to put you in a place one way or the other.”

Scatman and Helen moved to the Green Turtle, an Akron hotel owned by Leonard and Oda Forman on the southeast corner of North Howard Street and Federal Street (later Perkins Street and, still later, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard).

“They were really nice people there,” Helen Crothers recalled. “I spoke to everybody.”

The Sorosis Club booked Crothers as musical entertainment for a formal dance in February 1939 at the Canadian American Legion Hall. “Swank in top hats, tails and white tie, backless and in many instances strapless evening gowns the elite of Akron Negro society last night made merry at their gala ball of the year,” the Beacon Journal reported.

Crothers made $150 a week (about $2,600 today) at clubs. His band performed three shows a night for more than a year at the Blue Star Inn on Route 224 between Barberton and Wadsworth. “Come Out Tonight,” the club advertised. “Scat Your Worries Away.”

As part of the act, Crothers liked to serenade couples in the audience. “I was the first black cat to ever do that,” he said. “From table to table with my guitar. That’s called strolling. They used to call me the man with a thousand tunes.”

Jitterbug Jamboree, a dance contest featuring “Scatman and His Joy Boys,” was held Dec. 3, 1942, at the Akron Armory. Admission was 75 cents. “The hottest hepcats in town turned up to dance to the music of one Sherman Crothers — ‘The Scatman’ — and his orchestra,” the Beacon Journal reported. “Whites and Negroes shared the floor in harmony; there was no ‘mixed’ dancing.”

The Kit Kat Nite Club at 581 N. Main St. hired Crothers’ orchestra as the house band in 1942, and he performed there for a year before traveling to California to test the waters. When Crothers returned in April 1945, the Kit Kat had moved to 34 N. Main St.

“He’s back again!” the club advertised. “The one and only Scatman and His Hollywood Orchestra. ”

Crothers and his wife moved that summer to California, where he found a lucrative career as an actor, dancer, singer and musician with nearly 200 credits to his name.

He wasn’t sure what the future held, but he wasn’t too concerned.

“I got simple tastes,” he said. “Don’t go in for all that flashy business. I tell other people: You don’t go by what somebody drives or wears. You can be dressed the best and have a wicked heart.”

For the first time in 37 years, Crothers returned to Akron in 1982 as a celebrity guest of the All-American Soap Box Derby. Other visitors included Star Trek actors James Doohan and George Takei, KC and the Sunshine Band singer Harry Wayne Casey, CHiPs actor Brodie Greer and Father Murphy actor Richard Bergman.

“I’m just wondering if I can get my bowlegs into the car,” Crothers joked before rolling downhill.

Four years later, Scatman Crothers died Nov. 22, 1986, in Van Nuys, Calif., after battling lung cancer. He was 76.

“My philosophy has always been about like what Paul said in the Bible,” he told the Beacon Journal in 1975. “He said the race isn’t given to the swift. It’s given to the one who endures to the end. The Bible. Anything you want to know is in that book. Anything.”

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

Talk about going the extra mile to help his furry friends. When truck driver Dan O’Grady of Akron recently passed a little dog abandoned on the side of a highway in Jacksonville, Fla., he couldn’t just keep going.

He exited the freeway and hoped he could get back to the dog before anything bad happened. The frantic dog, a Jack Russell terrier, led O’Grady into the woods. It was clear the dog wanted him to see something.

Under a bush, O’Grady saw a white domestic rabbit huddled there. O’Grady scooped up the rabbit and headed back to the truck, and the dog followed. He dubbed them Highway and Interstate. He took the dog to a shelter in Georgia and the rabbit to the Humane Society of Summit County.

Highway has already been adopted from the shelter in Georgia. Interstate is now a healthy weight of almost 5 pounds, neutered and available for adoption. If interested in adopting Interstate, call 330-487-0333.

Ava Lonneman, 17, of Mogadore, recently was selected as winner of the 2017 Youth In Action Pillar Award for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) by the National 4-H Council. Lonneman will be recognized nationally for establishing herself as a leading youth advocate and organizer for STEM education, reaching more than 1,600 youth with hands-on programming in three years. She will receive a $5,000 scholarship for higher education and will serve as an advocate and spokesperson for 4-H STEM programming.

St. Sebastian Parish School chose the Christ Child Society of Akron as the charity it wanted to support this year during the Catholic Schools Week celebration. Students were asked to bring in new hats, mittens and socks that Christ Child will distribute to area children in need. As an extra incentive, several faculty members took a “pie in the face” as a way to generate dollars that would go along with the clothing donation. The parish school collected more than 100 hats, 150 pairs of gloves, 195 pairs of socks and $250 in donations.

The following St. Hilary School pairs and individual students have qualified to advance to the District Science Fair on March 18 at the University of Akron: Will Kane and Ronetas Lubes, effects of different battery types on a motor; Jackson Alexander and Will Scherler, effects of different types of milk on plastic durability; Clara Hoffert, bacteria growth on makeup sponges; Sadie Nierzwicki, effects of different soaps on bacteria on hands; Nicole Reese, effects of artificial sweeteners on baking; Kiara Brady and Clare George, invented removable high heel; Erik Stern, effects of preservative bags on freshness of produce; Clara Krohn and Alison Swiatkowski, invented rotating bench; Gina Roman and Meghan Vieltorf, effects of temperature on glow stick illumination; Cline Hearty and Daniel Monea, effects of various tire air pressures on different road surfaces; Nick David and Matthew Kwok, invented ripstick brake; Lucy Chmura, effects of 2-D image on bird foraging; Gia Abucejo and Regina Demechko, placebo effect on third-graders running; and Meg Resweber, effects of wing length on airplane flight distance. The students qualified by receiving superior ratings at the St. Hilary School Science Fair this month.

Barberton High School recently welcomed 2016 Olympic runner Makorobondo “Dee” Salukombo to share his personal story with the ninth-grade class. Salukombo was a refugee from the Congo and came to the U.S. in 2004. He persevered through turbulent times in the Congo and as a refugee in Uganda, but through it all, his parents ensured he received a strong education, even when the odds were against them. When he and his family came to America, he continued to make the most of his educational opportunities. After graduating from Lakewood High School and Denison University, Salukombo started the organization called, “Project Kirotshe,” named after his hometown in the Congo.

The University of Akron earned first place this month in the fifth annual Peoples Bank Undergraduate Business Case Competition. The University of Akron team earned $1,500 for its first place finish. Team members included: Preston Matos, Layne Scheufler and Eric Vlahos.

The student councils at Revere Local Schools and Copley-Fairlawn City Schools took part in the “We Can School Challenge” for two weeks in January. The schools challenged each other to collect the most nonperishable food items and monetary donations to benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. The collection process was incredibly successful, yielding enough to make 22,554 meals.

“Revere and Copley have a long-standing rivalry, and we are grateful for the joint efforts and dedication of both schools in helping those in Northeast Ohio facing hunger,” said Dan Flowers, president and CEO of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. Revere and Copley were the first two schools to take part in the food bank’s “friendly competition.”

Sixty-eight years ago, the Kent City Council and mayor dubbed Kent the state’s Tree City. This year marks the ninth year Kent State University is being recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus USA program.

Kajol Krishna Chaurasia of Kent, a junior majoring in biology, was named a Presidential Scholar for the fall 2016 semester at Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y. Presidential Scholars must achieve a minimum 3.80 grade-point average and carry at least 14 credit hours.

Stephanie Spencer of North Canton has been named to the Dean’s List at Georgia Southern University for the fall 2016 semester. To be eligible for the Dean’s List, a student must have at least a 3.5 grade point average and carry a minimum of 12 hours for the semester.

The 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.